Fable III: Rise of a King
by Bullet With A Name On It
Summary: Fifty years after an unlikely Hero destroyed the Spire and took the throne, Albion rots on the inside. King Logan, the once just ruler has become a tyrant. Albion cries out for a rebellion and a Hero to lead it. When the old Kings youngest son proves himself capable of following in his father's footsteps, he is chosen to lead the revolution. How will he become the Hero Albion needs
1. Chapter 1: Life in the Castle

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Fable franchise or any of the characters, places, etc. associated with it.**

**Feb 14 AN: Fixed a few errors.**

I

Life in the Castle

A grey-haired man in a finely tailored suit with shoes shined like a soldier's walked over to the windows in a tower overlooking the castle courtyard. He opened the curtains, letting in the sun's rays and sighed, turning to face the sleeping form on the bed near the window.

"What a dreadfully sorry sight. Such a beautiful day to waste in bed, don't you agree?"

The young man in the bed groaned. "Wha-? Oh go away Jasper."

Jasper raised an eyebrow at the young man and shook his head. "Now that is hardly the response of a Prince. I'm afraid it is time to rise. With your permission, I shall wake your sleeping companion," he said as he pulled the bedcover off the young prince, revealing a black and white border collie. The dog rolled onto its paws and looked up excitedly at the butler. "Ah yes. One's heart soars before such regal bearing." He turned to look at the prince, who rolled onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow to pet the dog. "I trust you both slept well. You have a busy day ahead."

The prince yawned, "Come on boy. If I have to get up so do you." The dog leaped out of the bed as its master sat up and swung his legs over the side. He turned to see the dog staring up expectantly at Jasper. "It's not going to work. Don't look at me like that." The dog whimpered lightly. "Oh, very well. Good dog. What a pair…The kingdom is doomed."

The prince laughed as he started to undress. "Oh come on Jasper. Have a little faith. I couldn't possibly do too badly with you at my side."

"Of course not. I've been taking care of you since you were a boy and I fear I shall have to long after you become a man. Now, sir, if you will follow me, perhaps we can find some appropriate clothing for today's activities. Lady Elise is most eager to speak to you this morning, and is waiting for you in the garden. No doubt you will wish to look your best for your young 'friend'. I have taken the liberty of arranging two suitable outfits, if you would care to choose," he said. Jasper motioned towards the two mannequins he had set in front of the small fireplace.

The prince looked at his options: a rather elegant outfit consisting of a blue jacket with gold trim with matching boots and a pair of white pants with a blue stripe down the middle with white gloves that went halfway up the forearm. It was something that befitted a young man of his rank for social gatherings and special occasions.

The other mannequin was garbed in a less handsome outfit that traded elegance for comfort and durability. Consisting of a white embroidered shirt, light brown belted pants, brown gloves and brown boots, the prince decided this was to be his attire for the day. He quickly went into the small bathing room in his quarters, washed himself, dressed and tied his long black hair into a neat ponytail using a small strip of black cloth.

Jasper admired the prince briefly. "Ah, splendid choice. I'm sure Lady Elise will approve. At least, more than of your previous attire. Or lack thereof, I should say."

The younger man grinned wickedly, "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Jasper gave him a look of chastisement, "Perhaps you ought to make your way to her now. And I would recommend avoiding your brother today. King Logan is rumoured to be in an ill temper today," he called after the departing prince.

"There's a fucking surprise," he muttered under his breath.

"Have a good day sir."

"Will do. Bye Jasper."

The prince made his way out to the courtyard, the soldiers on duty saluting him as he passed. He bowed his head respectfully to the men in return. He saw that even in this early hour there were already nobles walking through the gardens. He did his best to skirt around them unnoticed so he wouldn't have to speak to them. As he walked past the mausoleum that housed his parent's bodies he saw Elise standing near the edge of the courtyard. He looked down at the collie plodding alongside him. "Go get her Thorn." The dog ran off and sprinted towards the girl. She dropped to a knee as the dog jumped up and began licking her face. "Oh, brave knight. Have you come to protect me?" she laughed. "You big softie, you'd be rubbish in a fight. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you?"

The prince strode over. "I'll protect you, milady," he said haughtily. Elise rose up and appeared to study him, one hand under her chin. "Hmmm. I don't know. You don't look so tough either," she said teasingly. "Perhaps you could give me a 'demonstration' of your abilities?" she said mischievously.

The prince smirked. "Perhaps I can give you more than a demonstration later," he said as he leaned in and locked his lips with hers. They kissed for a few seconds before he broke contact, much to the girl's displeasure. "How's that?"

"Not bad, not bad," she giggled. "I suppose you'll do. I thought you'd never get up. Did Jasper tell you I wanted to speak to you?"

"Yes. Did something happen?"

Elise had worry etched into her features at the moment, so he wasn't surprised when she responded, "I'm not sure, but everyone in the castle seems to be upset with your brother. _More_ than usual." She turned and stood on the railing, looking out over the city. "And it's even worse down in the city. You hear such terrible stories. Listen, they say a factory worker was executed this morning. I'm sure it's only a rumour, but you can imagine how people are talking. The staff in the castle are anxious." She got down and faced the prince. "I told them you'd speak to them. Will you do that?"

The prince raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What? Why?" He never liked talking with the workers because he had no idea _how_ to talk to them or how they felt about him. He wasn't about to start now.

Elise didn't look happy at his response. "I'm afraid of what might happen if someone doesn't calm things down."

He sighed. "If you think it will help. I suppose I could."

"I do. They may fear the king, but they still care for their prince." Elise smiled and held out her hand. "So, my good prince, will you take my hand and escort me to the castle? Everyone's waiting for you." The prince took Elise's hand, kissing it, before he turned and began walking towards the castle kitchens. Elise continued to talk as they walked through the courtyard. "I told Sir Walter about the speech. He'll be there to support you. I don't know what this place would be like without him."

The prince snorted. "Probably nothing like it is now. Things wouldn't be the same without him."

Elise made a sound of agreement. "I'm sure he'll want you to continue with your instruction today. He seems obsessed with combat training lately."

"I won't complain. I enjoy the training. It pushes me to be more than just a prince. Makes me better than all the nobles who look down upon those who work for what they have. Neither Logan or my father were averse to fighting their own battles. I'd have joined the Army if Logan had let me. And if the stories my father told me are true, I have much to live up to in regards to fighting."

They continued toward the kitchens. As the pair approached the door leading inside they heard voices within. "I heard all he did was stand up for one of the kids working in the factory," said one.

"Who knows where it ends," a female voice said, "next it's one of us that's-"

"Quit your gossiping now, and straighten those cloves," interrupted the head chef.

The prince entered the room and stood waiting to be acknowledged. The chef was the first to react. "Welcome, your majesty. Such an honour to have you here today. The staff have convened to hear your words. Whenever you're ready."

The prince was unsure what to say, but he couldn't appear it. He decided that the best course was to be firm without seeming angry or disappointed. "You've all been through some difficult times, and the king has been too…preoccupied to treat you as he should. However, you're all privileged to work in this castle, and I will not tolerate any unrest or the spreading of wild rumours." He noticed the head chef nodding his head which gave him some encouragement to continue. "I will speak to my brother about improving conditions for both you and your families outside the castle as well as he can. Now carry on with your work please."

Sir Walter Beck appeared in the doorway leading from the kitchens into the rest of the castle. "You call that a royal speech?" he said, "You didn't shout, you didn't threaten, and you were far too reasonable." He laughed. "It was bloody marvelous. Right then, ready for today's training?"

The prince nodded and kissed Elise goodbye before following Walter. As they made their way upstairs he heard Elise's final words to Walter, telling him to take care of the prince.

They walked through the castle towards the combat room, a combined armoury and training grounds within the castle itself. Walter broached the subject of the previous event himself. "I suppose you've heard the rumours then. Well, I'm afraid they're quite true. Who knows what your brother will do next." He shook his head. "In the meantime, the mood in the castle is getting more uneasy by the day. I think you have a knack for reaching out to people. They all looked up to you back there. The way they look up to leader."

The rest of the way was silent until they came to the main doors of the castle. There was a large group of what people just inside the doors, some of Logan's "elite" soldiers standing watch. "A lot of people to see your brother today. Poor sods."

One man in particular seemed eager to speak with them. Standing in front of the crowd, waving one arm. When he spoke the prince knew he wouldn't ever want to meet this man again. His voice was irritating and he seemed too enthusiastic to be where he was. "Sir Walter! What a stroke of luck! Would you be so kind as to sign my petition? We must fight to eradicate poverty in Albion. Too many suffer on our streets and the king does nothing. He must be made to care."

So he's one of those. Those idealistic people who only stood for all that _seemed_ good and righteous because of their naivety. The king truly, at least it seemed to the prince, care about making Albion as good a place to live as he could. It was simply that ruling an entire nation almost completely by oneself was difficult to say the least. There were so many different things one had to take into consideration when ruling a nation. Even if Logan wasn't exactly the kindest of rulers, he did care. At least that was how the prince saw it.

"Oh, very well," said Walter, in a less than enthusiastic tone, "but I'm just an old soldier. I doubt my name would mean anything." He turned towards the prince. "But perhaps the prince here would care to help you out."

The young man in question looked at Walter, the message in his eyes asking why Walter would do this to him.

"Oh, that would be wonderful, your majesty. It would be the greatest honour." The incredulous look on the man's face was almost humorous. The prince plastered his best effort at a smile on his face.

"Yes, of course. I'd be happy to sign." He scribbled his name on the paper the man had shoved at his face.

The man looked like a child who'd been given his greatest desire as a present. "Thank you, my good prince. Your support will make all the difference, I'm sure of it."

_Not likely_, thought the prince. His thoughts were proved by Walter's next words as they made their way to the training room again.

"That was a courageous move. I doubt it will make much of a difference, but perhaps your brother will finally realise you have a mind of your own. Let's see you put it to good use in the combat room. Come on. You have made good progress these past few weeks, but today isn't about practice. I want you to fight me. As if your life depended on it." His tone changed, almost seeming like he was preoccupied with something. "One day, the people of Albion are going to need you. I have to find out just how ready you are. Go on. Grab a sword."

The prince walked over to one of the sword racks and picked up one of the many identical blades. He and Walter walked to the center of the room, each in their own respective stances. The prince suddenly attacked, swinging his sword at Walter's neck as if he were truly an enemy. Walter parried and followed up with a lunge at the prince's heart. The younger man brought his blade up, perpendicular to the floor, and slammed it into Walter's blade, then pushing the edge towards his throat. Walter brought up his empty hand and caught the prince's sword hand, pushing him back with his superior strength and stature. They continued on like this for a few more blows before Walter began speaking.

"Do you remember the stories I'd tell you when you were a child?" he said between blows,"Of your father, the great Hero King? Ha, you'd never get tired of hearing those stories. And after each one, do you remember what you would say?"

"Teach me how to be a Hero!"

Walter chuckled. "Every single time. I wish that was something an old soldier like me could teach you. But I've done my best. Now I need you to do _your_ best." Walter blocked an incoming strike and pushed the young prince away again. "Strike me!"

The prince swung with some effort at Walter, only to be rebuked. "Come on, put some effort into it! Hit me!"

This time the young man crouched low slightly turned away from Walter. When he swung, bringing the sword around his body in an arc, he wasn't denied. As Walter raised his blade to block the attack, the two swords connected, and somehow, Walter's blade snapped off near the hilt. The prince lowered his sword and looked down at himself incredulously.

"Ha-ha! You only went and broke it. Look at that," he said in an almost wondering tone, "Am I a great teacher or what?" He chuckled. "Listen, there's something-"

Suddenly Elise burst into the room. "Walter! You have to come quickly. Both of you."

"What's happened?" Walter inquired.

"Outside the castle. It looks like a demonstration."

"This is not good," said Walter grimly.

They ran through the halls to the main entrance and looked outside the window. Dozens of people were outside yelling and waving their arms or holding signs that called for Logan's death or the liberation of Albion.

Elise spoke first. "They're right inside the castle grounds. I've never seen so many people out there."

"Balls," Walter swore, "I should have known this would happen. I don't think they realise what your brother is capable of. This isn't going to end well."

Elise and the prince looked at each other. "It's been a long time since Logan listened to me, but I should find him. Stay here. There's still something we need to talk about," he said to the prince.

They waited a few minutes and nothing had changed. Elise huffed anxiously. "We can't just stand here. I have a horrible feeling about this. We need to do something."

"What? What the hell are we supposed to do?"

Elise looked uncertain. "I'm not sure." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Look! The guards have moved away from the stairs. We should follow Walter; find out what Logan's going to do. Let's go while we can."

"This is a bad idea." Nevertheless the prince still followed Elise as she quickly ran up the stairs and towards the War Room. They walked into the room, Elise running up to the doors that lead into the War Room. One of the doors was slightly ajar and she peeked through into the room.

"Quick, you can see them," she whispered, beckoning the prince over. Elise had crouched down and he looked over her head to see the figures beyond. He heard Walter's voice, "Think about what you're doing, Logan."

Logan's sneering, disdainful voice responded. "I'm protecting the interests of the people. Do not question me again." He turned towards one of the soldiers, addressing him, "You will shoot to kill. Start with the ringleaders, and _if necessary, _continue with the crowd."

"This is wrong," Walter said, "You can't do this."

Before he had even finished, Logan signaled one of the soldiers behind Walter, who promptly bashed the back of Walter's knee with the butt of his rifle, causing the older man to drop down.

"Never tell me what I can't do."

Elise backed up slightly and turned to the prince. "We can't let him kill all those people. You're his brother, maybe he'll listen to you. We have to do something," she said grabbing his shoulders.

He looked down at her, not knowing how to respond. His brother wouldn't take kindly to his interference. But he knew that these people didn't deserve death. Not like this. His mind made up, the prince turned and pushed open the door. Setting in motion the events that would change his life forever.

* * *

Everyone looked at them as they entered the room. Logan looked at the prince, anger clearly written on his face. "What are _you_ doing here? The War Room is no place for a child. Leave now."

The prince looked at his brother rebelliously. "I'm here to stop you. You _can't _kill those people."

Walter looked up worriedly. "No, wait-"He was cut off by a look from Logan.

"Enough! How dare you turn against me? Perhaps you believe _you_ should be the one making these decisions." He looked at the prince disdainfully, an eyebrow raised. "You really wish to defend those traitors? Then so be it." He raised his hand and made a fist, signaling his soldiers to grab the prince and Elise. "Let us see how you do. Take my brother and his friend to the Throne Room. We shall settle this matter officially."

* * *

The soldiers escorted them all to the Throne Room. Logan walked straight up to the throne and sat down lazily, slouched to one side, head resting upon his fist. He waited for the soldiers to bring in the prince and the girl, and the leaders of the protest. When they entered he sat up. One of the soldiers escorting the young couple pushed the girl and yelled "Move!" causing her to fall.

"I'm going."

The prince yelled at the man and knelt at her side, grabbing her hand. "I'm all right, I'm all right," she assured him.

"Don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll get through this together."

"Keep walking," commanded one of the soldiers. The prince looked back at him, rage flashing in his brown eyes. He turned back forward as Logan began to speak.

"Here come the saviours of the people," he said mockingly. "Come closer, brother. Today you have disappointed me beyond measure. I have been betrayed by my own blood. And a filthy spy."

"We did nothing wrong," Elise cut in. Logan ignored her and stood, talking in the same disappointed tone.

"Punishment must be apportioned where it belongs."

"Punish me then," the prince said.

"You are no longer a child, and it is time I stopped treating you as one. You wished to save the traitors who had gathered outside the castle this morning. Very well. You shall have your chance to save them." He motioned to the group of citizens next to him, "Here stand the leaders of the violent mob. I will give you a choice. Who will be punished? These strangers, or this girl. The sentence will be death."

"What?"

"No…This can't be…"

"You are the prince. Decide."

At this point Walter couldn't keep quiet and stepped forward a few paces. "Your majesty. Logan. Please."

"I am giving you power over life and death."

"No. I won't do this."

"If you can't choose, I will. They will _all_ be executed. So tell me, what are you willing to sacrifice to do the 'right' thing?"

"This is madness. We can't- we just can't…" Elise put her hands on either side of the prince's face. "Choose me. You can't let them all die. Choose me."

"I can't just let you die because of them."

"But you can't just let these people be executed for speaking their mind." She turned to Logan. "He chooses me. Let the rest go."

"No! I won't lose you," he said to Elise." I choose the rioters."

Logan's face was unreadable as he told the guards to take care of the ringleaders. The prince was unable to look as they were dragged off. He turned to Logan, fury in his eyes. "I will never forgive you for this."

"Good. Then you will never forget it." He turned to a pair of soldiers. "Escort my brother to his chambers. Now."

* * *

"You mustn't blame yourself, sir. I don't think any of us realised just how far he'd fallen into madness," said Jasper, trying to console the young prince.

"I have to do something. I can't just stay here. I can't let him get away with this."

"You're not," said Walter as he entered the room. "We leave the castle tonight. This kingdom needs nothing less than a revolution. It needs a _new_ leader. It needs…a_ Hero_. It's time to see if you're ready."

"Ready for what?"

"To be your father's son," Walter said ominously.

After a slight pause Jasper said, "Very good. I will pack some essentials."

"There's no time," Walter said. "We take nothing."

"Not even…pyjamas?"

"Come on. We must leave now."

They made their way through the courtyard toward the mausoleum. The prince looked at Walter, confused. "Where are we going? I thought we were leaving the castle."

"We are. But there's something we must do first. It's time we paid our respects to Albion's last Hero."

"I never thought I'd enter this place again," said Jasper.

"You should've known better."

* * *

"The night your father died I promised him I would bring you here one day, when you were old enough, and strong enough." Walter spread his arms out, as if to encompass everything before them. "This is _your _history!" he said with some feeling. "This is _your_ legacy! The world has been too long without a hero," he continued," but I'm hoping it will have one soon."

Walter walked between the giant golden sarcophagi containing the former King and Queen. The prince's parents. There was a large statue behind them, almost as if it was guarding them. Walter turned right when he reached it and dropped to one knee. He ran his hand over the base of one of the columns until he apparently found what he was looking for. He pushed one of the bricks in up to his elbow. As he did so, the chamber filled with a rumbling noise as the statue's arms fell. In the clasped hands appeared to be a small disk-like object. It was small enough for the prince to hold in his hand and had spikes coming out of the four corners. Inside the outer ring was a blue circle with a sigil on it. The prince didn't recognize the sigil nor did he know what the thing was. Walter however did.

"This is your father's most treasured possession. The Guild Seal. It chooses those who have the power inside them. Those who have the potential to become legends. Take it."

The prince did just that he cautiously picked it up, expecting something dramatic to happen. When nothing did, he stared at it, a little disappointed. "Is something supposed to happen?" And as he said that, something did happen. The seal began shaking violently. The prince tried to let go but it was as if the seal wouldn't let him. He was surrounded by a flash of light and then...

* * *

Suddenly he was somewhere else. Everything was grey and misty. He was on a winding path with a gate a few feet in front of him. A pedestal stood to one side. A woman stood in front of the gate, garbed in a red robe. Even from where he stood, the prince could tell she was blind. "Who are you?"

"I am Theresa, the Seer of the Spire," she spoke in a soft voice of one who had wisdom unlike any other. Completely unlike his own deep, gruff tone. She continued, "I guided your father in his greatest triumph, but you have an even greater destiny ahead of you. The Seal awoke at your touch, as it would at no one else's. This means the fate of Albion rests on your shoulders. Before you lies the path you were born to take. And at its end is the kingdom you were born to rule. Like all heroes, you will face many trials, but you cannot pass through these gates alone. You will need to gather followers and gain the support of the people. For now, you have the support of two friends. Jasper, who will serve you always... "An image of said butler appeared next to one of the pedestals." And Sir Walter Beck, who will be your greatest ally. Together you have already taken the first step in your journey. Walk through the gate and claim your reward."

With that, she disappeared. The prince walked up to the gate and pushed it open. A statue of him appeared on the pedestal to his left, garbed in the outfit he was wearing and with its hair just like his. He walked through the gate up to a chest bearing an image of a fireball. He opened it up and looked inside. At the bottom was a red gauntlet bearing the Guild Seal on the palm and on the opposite side. The Seeress appeared next to him.

"There is a great power inside you. You merely lack the means to unleash it. Take this."

He picked it up and put it on his right hand, tightening the strap around his arm. He flexed his arm and fingers a bit to make sure it didn't restrict his movement too much.

"The gauntlet will channel the magic within you. Use it by the tomb in the mausoleum, and the way out of the castle will open for you. Now go. Walter and Jasper will follow wherever you lead. And one day, perhaps the rest of Albion will do so too."

She disappeared again. The prince walked up to the next gate where a smoky image of the Guild Seal appeared just in front of it. The prince hesitantly stuck his hand into it. When it didn't reappear on the other side, he walked through it and was transported back to the mausoleum.

* * *

"Well? Do you…do you feel any different?" That was Walter.

The prince was standing on a large Guild Seal just in front of the sarcophagi. "I don't know."

"Try casting a spell," Walter said. "That's supposed to be our only way of getting out of here."

"You might have mentioned that earlier," Jasper said, a little anxiously.

"And spoil the surprise," Walter said with a smirk.

The prince ignored the two older men and tried to concentrate on any unusual feelings within himself. He felt a slight…feeling, for lack of a better word. Like how one feels when they have adrenaline pumping through them and no way of expending it. He brought the feeling up and pushing his hands down, palms face down, a ring of fire suddenly surrounded him. The sarcophagi containing his parents moved to either side, revealing a passage underneath the mausoleum.

Walter looked at the young prince incredulously. "It bloody worked!" he said excitedly, and more than a little relieved. "You really are a Hero!"

"I never doubted it for a second," Jasper said matter-of-factly.

"Well, of course, neither did I," Walter responded, "Still though…it bloody worked!"

They descended into the passage. Walter immediately voiced his opinion regarding the passage. "Somewhat narrow, isn't it? Dark too."

Jasper had an amused look on his face. "You never did care for confined spaces, did you, Sir Walter?"

"I never did care for being poked in the eye or having my head chopped off, what of it?" he snapped, an irritated edge to his voice.

"Oh dear," Jasper chuckled, "I seem to have struck a nerve."

"How 'bout if I strike a butler on the bounce?" Walter said, agitated.

They continued on for a few minutes before the passage opened up into a wide cavern. Walter again voiced his opinion, although this time he was a little more enthusiastic. They made their way along the path, not knowing where it would take them. They walked in silence until Jasper asked the question on everyone's mind.

"I hesitate to ask, but what is our plan? Other than leaving the castle which I wholly approve of, obviously."

Walter answered without pause, attempting to not appear uncertain. "It's simple. We have to stop Logan."

"How am I supposed to do that? Even if I am a Hero, I'm just one person. I don't even have a sword."

"That is why we need to find allies," Walter responded, ignoring the sword comment. "And lots of them. Once you prove what you are, people will follow you, and many of them will be willing to fight. But they need a leader. Someone to believe in. Albion needs nothing less than a revolution. "

They walked a few more minutes in silence before Jasper suddenly yelled out, "Bats! Take Cover!" and started flailing his arms about his head to ward said creatures off.

Walter on the other hand was completely calm, viewing this as an opportunity for the prince to practice with his newfound power. The prince didn't disappoint as he began launching fireballs into the cluster of bats. He quickly dispatched the flying rodents with little difficulty and they were on their way again. Walter commented on the prince's performance. "Excellent! Did you see that, Jasper? Did you see it?" he said excitedly.

"Indeed," replied the butler, "Your father would have been proud, sir."

"Well I know I am. Come on, "Walter said.

The group continued down the winding path, occasionally encountering groups of bats which the prince promptly dealt with. After nearly an hour they entered a tunnel that emitted a foul odor and had visible, green fumes which Jasper did not hesitate to point out. Walter replied, saying that they were most likely underneath Bowerstone Industrial. A few minutes later they arrived at what appeared to be a dead end. That is, until Walter pointed out the small raised platform bearing the insignia of the Hero's Guild.

"What is that?" the young prince asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's a cullis gate. Sort of a…magical transportation system for Heroes."

Jasper piped up. "I was under the impression that cullis gates were all gone."

"Well there looks to be one left, at least. That thing on the platform matches the symbol in front of the tunnel entrance."

"Do you suppose it's activated in the same way?" Jasper suggested

"Only one way to find out."

The prince walked up onto the platform and casted a spell. The Seal reacted instantly. A shimmering blue tower of light suddenly surrounded him and he disappeared. The blue light did not disappear with the prince and the two remaining men looked at each other.

"May as well see where this leads to, then," said Walter. And with that he walked into the light and disappeared. Jasper looked apprehensively at the column of light before sighing and following Walter through.

**And that's a wrap. So this is the start of my slightly altered (and somewhat more mature) version of Fable III. Work on chapter II is currently underway and it would be nice to see some reviews or follows or whatever during this period. The prince does have a name I just haven't decided when to let it be known. I'll give you a hint: it's the name of a character from an Oscar Johansson animation. Probably just gave it away there but whoever is the first to give me the correct name wins a special prize. Not sure what else I can say at the moment so my last words will be: REVIEW! **

**Addio. **


	2. Chapter 2: The Mountains

II

The Mountains

The room was a complete mess. Cobwebs covered most of the walls and ceiling, books and papers were strewn all over the floor and there was little light. The three men appeared here in the columns of blue light they had walked into to teleport. The prince stood on a Guild Seal that was raised a few steps off the floor. Walter and Jasper appeared on either side, the latter of whom immediately fell over. The prince was the first to break the silence.

"What is this place?"

"You know…it must be…_it is_! It's your father's Sanctuary. He used to speak of it, but I never thought it was a real place." He walked over to the large, circular map table that dominated the room. A book lay on top of it, the symbol of the guild on the cover. "Well. I don't it. Jasper! This book…there's a note with your name on it. Look."

Said butler walked over to the map saying, "That's not possible. 'For Jasper'," he read. "Well, I grant you it is possible. But it must be a coincidence."

Meanwhile, the prince had walked over to the map, standing opposite the two other men. Looking at the map, he saw the various regions and cities of Albion along with the northern edge of another landmass to the south of Albion. He realised it to be the fabled Aurora. He turned his ear to the conversation in time to hear Jasper say, "'The Book of Heroes'. How extraordinary."

Always the practical man, Walter asked, "Does it tell us how to get out?" Obviously he didn't want the visit to be a prolonged one.

Jasper spent a minute skimming a few pages in the book. "This really is most remarkable. Everything that we could possibly want to know about Heroes and this place is _right here_ in these pages," he said finally. He looked between Walter and the prince. "This map functions as a travelling mechanism. Simply choose where you want to go and, well, it should take you there."

"Marvellous," said Walter, "Right. We can use that. We'll have plenty of time to explore this place later. Right now we have a rather large task ahead of us."

"But I don't even know where to start."

"Our first stop will be the mountains of Mistpeak. There are people there who would make great allies. They won't offer their allegiance easily, but they despise Logan. And if anyone can persuade them, it's a Hero."

"Exactly who are these people?"

"They call themselves Dwellers. They're tough. They're loyal. And like I said before: they hate Logan's guts. They'll make a good addition to our rebel force.

"Very good. I will continue to become acquainted with this Sanctuary. No doubt we will need to make full use of its facilities."

"Right, all right then," Walter said to the butler. He turned to the prince, "Find Mistpeak on the map and let's see if that book's telling us the truth."

The prince looked down at the map. He didn't have any idea how it worked or how he was supposed to transport himself to a specific region. He looked at Jasper. "How does it work?"

The butler looked through the book," Let's see here…no…no…ah! Here we are. Tapping a specific spot on the map will transport you there automatically, provided there is an active cullis gate there. Tapping it twice will expand the area, giving you a more detailed look at whatever is currently going on there."

"So if there isn't an activated cullis gate in the mountain, we aren't going anywhere," the prince said sardonically.

Jasper looked a little flustered. "Umm…yes, I believe that would be correct."

The prince rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. We're in deep shit now. We have no way out and the only way to the other side of Albion is by foot. Fuck." The prince sighed. "Ah well, let's see if we have some luck for once." He tapped once on the small encampment in the mountains that Walter pointed out earlier and suddenly vanished.

"He really has to stop doing that," Walter said. "Anyway, at least we know there's an active cullis gate there. I'll see you when we're done. Try and clean up around here and see whatever useful things King Ivor left for the boy," he said to Jasper, before tapping on the map and transporting to the Dweller Camp.

* * *

"It worked! Brrrr! I'd forgotten how bloody _cold_ it is up here."

"You don't say," the prince replied sarcastically, "My royal ass is frozen. Let's hurry up and do what we have to so we can leave."

"Patience. We can't be hasty. We have to negotiate first. And we likely need supplies for the Sanctuary. Come on." The two men started down the path from the cullis gate towards the main camp. Most of the "buildings" were old, run-down caravans, but there were a few small wooden huts. Snow covered everything. There were metal containers serving as makeshift braziers, filled with fuel for the fires, placed randomly throughout the small settlement. The entire camp only took up about a kilometre of space in each direction. The inhabitants (men seemed to have a slight majority) were mostly garbed in furs. There were less than half as many children as adults. As they made their way through, most stared at the two men, who were clearly well off due to their more elegant clothes. A few reached out their hands to beg for coin. "Yer from the city, aintchya? From Bowerstone," one said, his thick accent betraying his illiteracy. "You don' look like Brightwall folk. Maybe you're more givin'," said a woman. It was when a little girl of about six or seven walked up to him and asked for food in return for her mangled stuffed bear that the prince was truly heartbroken.

They walked through the camp seeing and hearing the same things throughout. "This is what Logan has reduced them to. He's taken control of these mountains and started destroying its forests. I knew they'd have a hard time finding food, but I had no idea it was this bad. We aren't going to be getting any supplies here. Let's go. Our destination is up the hill there. Past that gate."

The next few minutes were spent in relative silence, the only sounds being those of the Dwellers begging for food or gold. The two men walked up a hill that lead to a smaller walled compound. The wooden gate had two sentries standing guard on either side.

"This is where the leader of the Dwellers resides," Walter said. "The man we need to convince is Sabine. A proud old sod, but a good man, and a good leader. He won't give his allegiance easily, especially to a prince. Perhaps it's best if I speak to him alone first. You know, maybe you ought to find some new clothes while I speak to Sabine. Something slightly less…princely. Be a show of good faith for him to see that you're willing to wear such clothes. That you don't think of yourself as superior." Walter pulled a sack of gold coins from his belt and tossed it to the prince. "I only have a little bit of gold, but it should be enough. Maybe you can spread what's left among the people. They need it more than we do."

"Where can I find clothes?"

"Oh, don't worry. You'll find someone willing to take that money off you. Now, I'd best be off. Sabine isn't the most patient of bastards in Albion." The sentries opened the gate for Walter and stepped aside to allow him passage. Once he was through, the gate was shut. The prince looked at the purse in his hand then down at Thorn, who was patiently waiting for his master.

"Come on boy. Let's go get some clothes."

The pair started the search for any sort of a shop that might have some clothes he could buy. They couldn't find anything until they had made back to the center of the camp. A man stood outside a caravan that was missing one if it's walls. Inside were a few sets of clothes similar to the ones the rest of the Dwellers were wearing. The prince walked up to the man. "How much for that outfit?" he said, pointing to the nearest mannequin.

The man looked surprised that someone was finally going to buy something and thought for a moment. He figured that someone so young would be naïve enough to believe any price he wanted for it. And with such nice clothes he certainly had the money. "Tree 'undrd. Nod a single coin less."

The prince was unwilling to barter for less, considering how poor the man was, so he counted out three hundred gold and handed it to the man. He walked up to the mannequin and pulled the outfit off. The outfit consisted of a sleeveless overcoat with fur lining the collar, a red undershirt, a cloth belt with a large brass disk for a buckle around the coat, grey pants, a red bandanna, fur-lined gloves, and fur boots. As he was wondering what he was supposed to do with the clothes he had on, he heard a familiar voice in his head. "Hello sir, this is Jasper-er, hello? Is…is this…is this how you use…erm, I am speaking to you through the Guild Seal. What an extraordinary device. It would seem that as long as you carry the Seal we can communicate freely. Not only that, but you can return to the Sanctuary any time you deem it necessary. Might I suggest you do so now and try on your new outfit?"

"And how am I to do so?" the prince retorted.

"Simply take hold of the Seal in your hand, and imagine yourself being transported to the Sanctuary, and it will be so. How handy magic can be."

The prince pulled the Seal from his pocket, and imagined himself flashing to the Sanctuary. When he opened his eyes, he was standing on the small platform in the main room. He noticed that Jasper had done a large amount of cleaning already. He could now see the black and white tiled floor, the elegance of the chandelier hanging overhead, the deep blue of the velvet covering on the walls. There was even a small basket set out along the wall, where Thorn was lying. Jasper was standing in front of one of the doors opposite the platform. It had a plaque with a picture of a hanger above the entrance. He guessed it to be where the clothes and fabrics and such were stored.

"Ah, hello. Now, included in the Sanctuary is a dressing room. Step through, and I'll show you," Jasper said, opening the door and gesturing for the prince to walk through.

Once he did so Jasper quickly walked over to where he had set up a row of mannequins. "I've taken the liberty of laying out your clothes on these mannequins, which should serve as convenient storage for any garments you acquire during your travels. Now, why don't you change into your new Dweller outfit?"

The prince walked over to the corner of the room, where Jasper had set up a changing screen. As he disrobed, the prince took the opportunity to look at the room. Designed in the shape of a horseshoe, the room was about 15 feet long by 20 wide. The mannequins were arranged in three rows in a half circle towards the back wall, which was covered with shelves, upon which were such things as towels, extra fabric, sewing utensils, mannequin pieces, and anything necessary for the maintenance of the garments. Along the left wall were three separate mannequins. When he saw the prince looking, Jasper explained that they were for storing any preferred outfits on, for easier access. On the right wall was the changing screen and a set of shelves with various dyes on them. The prince grabbed the Dweller outfit and decided to play around a little. He dyed the outer coat and the pants black, and dyed the undershirt, the colored parts of the striped belt, and the bandanna a deeper shade of red. He then quickly put the clothes on.

"There you are, you look just like a Dweller. I hope this new outfit is as comfortable as your royal attire, although I suspect the chances of that are quite low. Now that you are properly attired, you should return to Sir Walter. It is time to meet this Sabine we've heard so much about. And it's time_ I_ returned to cleaning this mess."

"You've done a wonderful job so far Jasper. I don't know if you already heard, but we aren't going to be getting any supplies here. We'll probably have to go into one of the larger towns in the area if we want to buy provisions."

"Not a problem. I found the storage room and it has enough food and water to last a few days. And the living quarters are better than any inn or tavern's. But I do thank you for your concern, sir."

The prince grabbed hold of the Guild Seal and imagined himself leaving the Sanctuary. He and Thorn were back in the Dweller camp. As they made their way back to the gate, he gave out a handful of gold pieces each to the Dwellers. By the time he made it there, he was almost out of gold. He saw Walter standing outside the gate, waiting. As he approached, Walter chuckled. "That's more like it. The scruffy look suits you." His tone changed. "I've spoken to Sabine; explained everything and he's-well I told you he'd take some convincing. Come on." Walter lead the way through the gate and the prince got a good look at what lay beyond. A semicircle of caravans surrounded a large circular tent. The front was open and displayed a high backed wooden throne, upon which sat a diminutive old man. The man had a purple and gold fur-lined coat with his chest showing, the layered disks of gold on the necklace he wore extending down to the bottom of his sternum, purple and gold kilt-like "trousers", golden, curly-toed slippers, and a tall purple and gold hat with a feather which looked quite similar to a jester's. And gold jewelry. Lots of gold jewelry. In addition to the necklace, he had bracelets around his arms and ankles, multiple rings and earrings, a big, red ruby on a gold band on his left ring finger. Even his long white moustache and beard, tips curled, had gold bands encircling them. _He looks like a gypsy_, the prince thought.

What appeared to be his bodyguard stood to his left and a little in front. The man had a moustache like the old man's, but his was a dark brown. He had a brown overcoat which was open to display his hairy, muscular chest, brown pants, and fur boots. His belt buckle was a skull above two bones crossed to make an X. Running down his left eye was a long, white scar, rendering the eye useless. His seven and a half foot tall frame was a stark contrast to Sabine's wiry body. The prince managed to take all this in within a few seconds before the big one grunted at him.

"Out of the way Boulder. I can't see a thing," he said in a thick accent.

"So royalty walks into our home. A prince no less. You're a long mile from the castle. Prince." Though his accent was thick, his voice told of intelligence and a wit to match it. The prince decided he would either like this man very much, or would be irritated to no end by him. The little man stood and walked down a few steps so that he was eye level with the prince. "What do you think of our home then?" he said sarcastically. "Do you like what your brother has done to us?" he said like it was the prince's fault, his hazel eyes staring into the prince's dark brown ones, challenging him. "These mountains have always been ours. Now Logan's taken them, and is stripping them of all life. Oh, we're ready to go to war. But why should we follow Logan's kin?"

"You can trust me. You have my word."

The man laughed. "We don't take much stock in words round these parts. We're simple folk. Ain't that right Boulder?" he said to the big man who was preoccupied with petting Thorn.

"Then what _do_ you want?"

The man motioned for the prince to come closer and stuck his face right up to the young Hero's. "Proof," he said, rolling the "r".

"Proof of what? I think I've already proven myself just by showing up with Walter. I have him to vouch for my character."

Sabine just chuckled. "A few things. First, prove you are truly, as Walter claims, a Hero. This is easily done. There's a secret chamber beneath the town of Brightwall, built by your own father. Only Heroes can survive its trials and reach the relics within." That was interesting the prince thought. "Bring me one of these ancient objects and I will believe you."

"So you want me to just give you something of my father's that wasn't meant for you?"

The old man just smiled. "Second," he said waving two fingers, "Prove you are a warrior worthy of leading us into battle. You can do this by slaying the mercenaries who plague Mistpeak Valley, and who have long soured our existence. Third, prove you are a true leader. Persuade our neighbors in Brightwall to share what food they have with us." He looked over at the giant. "Boulder."

"_Oh_," he complained, letting Thorn go.

Sabine turned back to the prince. "If we cannot eat, we will die. And the dead make poor allies."

"Is that all?" he replied, irritated.

"Yep. That's the lot. Off you go then. Good luck. Nice knowin' ya."

The prince turned around and made for the gate. He clicked a few times. "Come on boy."

* * *

Walter laughed as they began their trek to the exit of the compound. "It's nice to see Sabine hasn't mellowed with age. But anyway, I know the place he mentioned. Your father built the chamber under the Brightwall Academy; Albion's greatest seat of learning. Least it was, until Logan closed it down. Just show the old librarian your Guild Seal. He'll know what it means."

"What about you?" the prince inquired.

"I'll try to find out more about these mercenaries. I'll see you in Brightwall when I have some information."

They made it to the small drawbridge separating the camp from the rest of the mountains beyond. Walter signaled the sentries to lower the bridge. Once it was lowered Walter turned to the prince. "It'll probably take you a few days to make it to Brightwall on foot and the only settlements are nothing more than a few wooden huts where exiles or anarchists live. Be careful when crossing bridges or when you're on a narrow ledge. One misstep and we'll have to put you together when we find you. And watch out for wolves or these mercenaries. Here, take this," he unstrapped the sheathed dagger from his boot and handed it to the prince. "Just in case."

The prince thanked him and strapped it to his right boot. "It'll be nice to have a good steel weapon. What kind of things should I expect when I reach Brightwall?"

"The people should be welcoming enough. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. There are plenty who wouldn't mind taking anything of value you have. I'd suggest spending at least one night resting before heading into the chamber. Who knows what you'll encounter. You'd best be at peak performance. Now get going."

The prince nodded to Walter then followed the path out of the camp.

* * *

When he was outside the camp limits he looked around. He saw a small area to his left with crumbling pillars. He walked over and had a clear view of the mountains and the valley. Mostly trees. And snow. Lots of snow. Walter was right when he said it would take a few days. The prince began the long trek to Brightwall. He walked for a mile or so then stopped when he heard Thorn growling. "What is it, boy?" They had crossed one of the small bridges crisscrossing the mountains and he saw what Thorn was growling at. A pack of wolves was sitting on a small cluster of boulders a few metres away. They started growling at the prince and his companion before one of them sprinted for the pair. The prince launched a fireball at the wolf and smote it in the face. The rest of the wolves began to circle him. Thorn lunged at one and the two engaged in a fight of their own while the prince dealt with the rest. One of the beasts attacked him from behind but the prince kicked it away and launched a fireball at the one to his right. He quickly unsheathed the dagger Walter had given him. He held it in his right hand in a reverse grip; the blade parallel to his forearm. Another wolf leaped at him and he grabbed it by the throat with his free hand, turning with the beast, his other hand driving the blade into the wolf's side and piercing its heart. While rising from his crouched position, another wolf jumped on him. He managed to get his forearm into its neck and keep it from tearing out his throat. He freed his other arm from beneath him and plunged the dagger into the beast's eye. He turned and launched another fireball at the wolf he had wounded earlier, hitting it with a more powerful blast this time. He got up and looked in time to see Thorn tearing out the throat of the wolf he had kicked away.

"Good job boy. Two for you, four for me. Looks like I'm ahead for now." The dog just looked at the prince, as if he knew what he was trying to imply, and ran a ways down the mountain. The prince decided to butcher the slain wolves. One never knew when they would next be able to eat in the wild. He also took one of the teeth of the pack leader; the one he had stabbed in the eye. It would make a nice piece of memorabilia. Hopefully he could buy a strip of leather to make a necklace once he reached Brightwall.

The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful. The pair followed the path, reading the signs that occasionally appeared at forks in the road to point travelers in the right direction. Once night fell the prince gathered what dry branches he could find, and lit a fire under the cover of some trees. He placed two sticks on either side of the fire and used a third as a spit for one of the pieces of meat he had butchered. Placing it over the fire, he threw a piece to Thorn while he waited for it to cook.

As he ate, he looked over at his companion happily tearing at the wolf meat. "Not a bad life, is it my friend?" The dog growled an acknowledgement. Once he was done eating, the prince whittled himself a small bowl from a nearby tree stump ad packed a bit of snow in it. He placed it over the fire and let it melt before drinking the water. He ten lay down to sleep.

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, the prince re-lit the fire and quickly cooked himself another wolf steak for breakfast, giving half to the collie, and melted himself more water. They then began their way back down the mountain. They encountered a few more packs of wolves, which were quickly dispatched. There was also a brief break in the monotony when one of the bridges broke while they were crossing. The prince fell right through and barely managed to grab the planks. Unable to pull himself up, the prince swung himself forward and grabbed the ledge that the bridge lead to. Another mile later Thorn somehow found a half buried chest near a pile of Old Kingdom ruins. Inside were three hundred gold pieces and a small ruby.

The prince decided to continue through the night since the signs indicated Brightwall was only a few more hours away. He lit up the gauntlet for light and forged onward. After an hour's walk, he noticed a small cabin in the shelter of some trees. Remembering what Walter told him about exiles and renegades, he extinguished the light and placed his footsteps more carefully.

A bullet whizzed by his head and slammed into the tree next to him. He immediately dropped down and unsheathed the dagger. He waited a few moments.

"Who's there?" a man's voice shouted.

The prince didn't respond, not wanting to give away his location to the other man.

"I know yer there! You've got five seconds 'fore I set me 'ound on ya!" A dog barked to affirm the statement.

"Just a traveler," the prince stated. "I'm only trying to get to Brightwall. No need for any unpleasantness."

"I'll be the judge o' that. Who thee 'ell are ya?" the man said, his deep and guttural voice, and thick accent betraying his illiteracy.

"A traveler. Like I said."

"What the fuck kinda mad bastard travels through these mountains alone at night, disturbin' me peace?"

"The kind of mad fucking bastard who's on important business," he replied boldly. "Now if you'll kindly lower your weapon and take your beast back inside, I would be most grateful," he said, trying to move behind a tree without taking moving his eyes from the man's direction.

"Ye sound like ye b'long west. Bowerstone area. Did the chicken fucker send ye after me?"

"Who?"

"'King Logan'", he replied mockingly.

_Shit_, thought the prince. _Must be one of those anarchists Walter mentioned._ _Time to end this_. His eyes having finally adjusted to the darkness, the prince could just make out the man's silhouette in the limited moonlight. He launched a fireball at the man, who instantly started screaming and writhing on the ground. The man's dog sprinted towards the prince and was rewarded with a fireball of its own. He quickly looted the body and the cabin, taking anything valuable and any food that appeared edible. He then continued on his way to Brightwall.

* * *

It was almost dawn when the small town finally came into sight. The prince stood at the top of a hill between two crumbling pillars. It was about a two mile walk to the town from where he stood. There was a large building that stood stories taller than the rest. . He turned to his canine friend. "Almost there. Come on boy!" he said, running down the path towards Brightwall. It took just under fifteen minutes for the prince to reach the bridge that lead into the city. The huge gate doors were open, allowing anyone to go in and out as they pleased. Sections of the wall surrounding the city were crumbling and many of the arches within the walls were broken at the midpoint. The town was about the size of the Dweller Camp, but was less empty most of the buildings appeared to be housing, but there seemed to be plenty of shops selling all kinds of goods. At the far end of the settlement, situated the furthest from the main gate, was the massive structure that towered above the rest.

The prince was about halfway across the bridge when he heard Jasper's voice. "I see you're approaching Brightwall. A most charming little hamlet. And a perfect opportunity to acquaint yourself with the fine, honest people of this kingdom. Far from the bustle of the city and the factory smoke. Of course, a less charitable mind would term them simpletons, but I encourage you to shop in their stores, drink in their taverns, and otherwise partake in their small-town pleasures."

The prince stopped once he was inside the gate. He looked around, taking in the sights and sounds. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air, smelling the forests surrounding the town and the scent of fresh food. He took one last look and then turned to the collie beside him. "And so it begins."

**Well, this chapter took much longer to get out than I anticipated but it's here now. I'm rather surprised no one has made an attempt at the special prize as of yet. The offer stands until I reveal his name. Remember: Oscar Johansson. On a side note, if anyone is interested in applying for a critical role in the story by creating a character, PM me and I will give you some info. I would also like to thank Axielouise for reviewing, favoriting, and following. Grazie mille. That's all for now. REVIEW per favore!**

**Addio.**


	3. Chapter 3: Wenches, Weapons,and Warriors

**AN: Don't skip my author's notes. They contain important info. If you have, I would suggest re-reading my previous notes. And not skipping future notes. Particularly the ones that pertain to the little numbers within the chapter itself. DON'T SKIP 'EM!**

**April 2 AN: see (3) at the bottom beneath the story. I've finally taken the time to get the shit right**

III

Wenches, Weapons, and Warriors

The first thing the prince did was make for the tavern. Most of the pubs in Albion were also used as inns and therefore he could get a hot meal and a warm bed. The tavern wasn't hard to find. It was one of the biggest buildings in the town and was one of the first buildings seen when entering the town(1). The sign had an image of a man writing with a quill and the words "Ye Quill and Quandary" printed underneath. He walked in, telling Thorn to wait outside, and walked up to the man behind the bar. "How much for a room?" he inquired.

The man looked at him, sizing him up. "Seventy-five gold gets you a room for the day. Payment for anything you eat or drink is collected when you receive your food. Any animals?"

"My dog."

"Costs an extra five. And if you aren't in the room, neither is he." He placed a small key on the bar. "Upstairs, third door to the right."

The prince pulled out his purse and counted out the gold, handing it to the man. He checked how much he had left and decided he could have a beer now and then dinner later. He paid the 10 gold for the beer, drank it, then retired to his room. The room was nothing special: a one-person bed, small bedside table, a large window with a view of the town, and dresser and shelves to store his things. He stripped out of his clothes and used the small wash basin next to the bed table to clean himself a bit. Remembering Walter's warning, he unstrapped the dagger from his boot and placed it under the pillow, the hilt sticking out. He motioned for Thorn to jump up onto the bed and then lay down, letting sleep take him.

* * *

The prince awoke to see the sun casting long shadows across the room. He looked out the window and guessed it to be about 6:00. He rose from the bed and flashed to the Sanctuary to put on more appropriate clothes. He put on his boots and dyed black pants from the day they left the castle and had Jasper replace the fur collar on his coat with a regular cloth one(2). He decided against any gloves or headwear and re-tied his ponytail. Once he was dressed the prince traveled back to the tavern. He made his way down to the bar area and asked one of the barmaids when dinner was.

"Not for another hour. The entertainment starts in about half an hour though, if you're interested."

"What's the entertainment?" he asked her.

"One of those traveling musicians." Her voice lowered when she spoke next. "If that doesn't appeal to you," she said mischievously, "we have some…other types of entertainment."

The prince quickly looked her over. Straight, shoulder-length brown hair framed a pretty face. Her slender body, perky breasts and round buttocks outlined through her dress. He smirked mischievously. "I think I could use some entertainment. Perhaps after I dine, you could accompany me to me room." The woman smiled back at the prince.

"Of course. And if you do a good job, maybe you'll get an extra favor," she purred out seductively.

"I look forward to it."

The prince went and sat at one of the square tables that were more prevalent in the establishment. He sat at one of the tables in the back corner; far from the other tables, and in a spot where the door would block him from the view of anyone coming in. He ordered a beer and quietly drank it, waiting for the food to cook. After an hour of waiting, he was served a hunk of mutton, bread, and some carrots and celery. He had a bottle of wine with his meal and enjoyed listening to the bard who played for a good hour and a half. Once he finished his meal, the prince grabbed another bottle of wine and went to find the barmaid. She had seen him rise and immediately went over to him, grabbing his hand and leading the way to his room.

She threw the young prince onto the bed and jumped on with him, straddling his waist. He took a long draught of the wine and offered the girl some, then put it on the small bedside table. He unstrapped the gauntlet from his right hand and set it next to the wine. The rest of his clothes he left to the girl. "You never did give me your name," he said.

"Alice," she replied. "And yours?"

"Ian," he lied.

"And where are you visiting from _Ian_?" she said, slipping off his boots.

"Bowerstone."

"That shirt and coat look like you stole them from a Dweller," she replied, undoing his belt. "You're not lying to me are you…Ian?"

"'Course not. I have an old friend amongst the Dwellers. He's actually the reason I made the trip. And the trip is why I'm here now. You don't have a problem with _that _do you?"

"Not at all," she smiled, practically ripping his shirt off. The prince knew that while he had plenty of potential for a taller, more muscular body, due to all the adventuring and fighting he'd be doing, he also knew that his body was currently pretty damn impressive from the years of exercise and combat training in the castle. Muscular legs and buttocks. A well-defined chest and abdomen. Sizeable arms. He had a light growth of hair on his chest and up from his crotch to his belly button, while his groin, underarms, and limbs were all covered with an average amount for someone his age. And due to his experiences with Elise and even a few of the daughters of visiting nobles in the castle, he had long since decided his member was above average.

He flipped Alice so that she was underneath him. Her smile grew as he began undressing her. The apron came off, then her shoes. He undid her dress and slid it off her body, leaving her in only her undergarments. He could see her arousal quite clearly: her nipples poking through her bra and a small wet patch in her bottoms. She had her arms, legs, and underarms shaved in typical Albion fashion, and her lightly tanned skin showed no blemishes. His cock now almost at full attention, he removed the bra and took in the wondrous sight of the young woman's breasts. They were big for a woman as slender as she was, but they didn't sag and he was happy about that. Her nipples protruded almost an inch from her breasts. He grasped her breasts in his hands, thumbing her nipples. She moaned and squirmed at his touch. "I'm sensitive there." She gasped when he rubbed his cock against the nub at the top of her folds. "And there."

"I think it's time we removed these don't you," he whispered in her ear. And with that he tore off her panties. A patch of hair covered the area above her folds and a small amount covered her outer lips. He brought his hand down to her slippery entrance and began pumping two fingers in and out, while his thumb played with the sensitive nub. Alice began to moan louder now, her pleasure heightening. The prince began to pick up speed; pumping faster and rubbing the sensitive bud quicker and rougher, causing her moans to become more prolonged. He went on like this for a few more minutes before she pulled away from his hand.

"Alright. You've had your fun. Now lie on your back so I can take over."

"Do I get any say in this?" he asked jokingly.

She just smiled. "You could leave and miss out on this body." The prince did as he was told. "I thought so," she smiled victoriously. Alice reached over and pulled a condom out of the bedside table. She pulled it out of the package and slid it onto his member. "Any objections?"

"None."

"Now," she said, "Let's have some fun." Alice straddled his waist, teasing the tip of his cock. He reached up to grab her breasts but she grabbed his wrists and forced his arms to the bed. "Don't get carried away. Remember: _I'm in charge_," she said dominantly. Alice trailed her hands down his muscular chest, her nails lightly scratching his skin. She placed kisses on his neck and chest while simultaneously rubbing his penis. After a few minutes of torture the prince decided he couldn't take any more, and thrust his hips upwards, penetrating deep into the young woman's canal. She gasped when he entered so suddenly and forcefully. "I thought I said _I _was charge. Not yoooou." The prince just laughed, flipped her over so he was on top, and began thrusting quickly into her.

"And what are you going to do about it?" he asked in a husky voice. "Now it's my turn to be in charge." The prince began to fuck her faster, playing with her nub with one hand and her sensitive nipples with the other. The bed began to shake with some force and the labored breathing and occasional moans could be heard from anywhere on the upper level of the tavern. He lay back down so that she was on top of him again and his upward thrusts were met by her downwards motions. Her heavy breasts bouncing from her up and down movement only aroused the prince even more as he reached up to grab them, playing with the hard nipples and causing Alice to moan from the sensation. After a few more minutes, the prince flipped the girl over and leaned her over the side of the bed, so that they resembled animals rutting. As he drilled into Alice, the prince began trailing kisses along her collarbone, her neck, and down her back as far as he could. The woman's ass jiggling as his body slapped against it began to arouse him even more and he started pumping faster and faster. Nearing his release and not wanting to finish before the girl, the prince rubbed her pleasure bud with more intensity.

"I'm-ungh…I'm close! Come on! Just a little faster." She yelled.

"Almost there…Almost." He pumped a few more times and Alice cried out, her orgasm overtaking her. Her knees started buckling and she fell forward, her rear still in the air as the prince continued; her body sliding along the bed as she lay there bent over. He made it another minute before he grunted loudly and expelled his seed into the condom. The prince pulled out of Alice's wet folds, pulled off the condom and then collapsed onto the bed; his energy spent.

"That…was better than I thought it'd be. You have unnatural endurance. How old are you anyway?" she asked.

"Nineteen. And you?"

"Same."

"You must do this a lot to be able to say my stamina is unnatural. How many men have you done this for?" he inquired, grabbing the wine bottle and downing some before offering it to Alice.

"Other than you? Three," she said, accepting the bottle.

"Really? I find that hard to believe. You didn't need any wooing or coercing at all for me to get you up here."

"Well, if someone happens to come in who looks like they could do what you just did, then I get to have a little fun while working. There are few men around here who would be able to satisfy me, so I resort to this," she explained.

"What made you think I was so special?"

"Good looks, nice muscles, and you have the look of a fighter about you. Dangerous, and confident. Like you won't let people fuck with you. Women are attracted to those qualities," she said knowledgeably.

"Well lucky me." He took another drink from the bottle. "I suppose we should both head back down now."

"Probably best," she said.

They both dressed and went back downstairs. The prince ordered a beer and sat at his table, thinking about what had just happened. For the most part he was quite pleased with how the night had turned out. An hour and four beers later, he was sufficiently drunk enough to join in the revelries in the tavern. As shopkeepers closed their stores and the townspeople came to forget the state of things, the pub grew louder and cruder. More than once he was able to shove his face between a woman's breasts, and witnessed many other men getting similar treatments. A few were even lucky enough to achieve release from drunken wenches right in the middle of the crowd. And to top it all off, there was no shortage of fights, which usually ended up with one fighter crashing into furniture and the other quickly moving on to the next challenger. In short: the prince had a great time.

* * *

The prince awoke to find himself in unfamiliar settings. He looked around and instantly remembered the festivities the previous night. He looked over at Thorn. "Great time, huh boy?" The dog simply cocked its head sideways and stared at him, as if to tell him how unbelievably stupid he'd been. "Well it isn't my fault she was like a bitch in heat," he said, rising from the bed. "And I think I'm entitled to a few drinks after a journey like ours."

'If you're talking to me then you clearly had more than a few,' the dog seemed to say.

"Don't give me that. Ugh, you're just like my mother."

The prince grabbed his clothes and walked downstairs, completely nude, and asked the owner where he could wash himself.

"There's a small stream around the back. That's where most folks who stay here go to clean up. Will you be having breakfast this morning?" he asked the young man.

"No but I will take a bottle of whiskey."

"I'm not sure-"

"I wasn't asking," he said with an edge to his voice. The barman quickly hurried to get a bottle for the prince, who promptly uncorked it and walked outside, eliciting more than a few hushed remarks about his lack of attire. Especially since he was sporting the infamous morning arousal. He drank a third of the bottle then corked it, deciding to save it for the upcoming journey into the chamber under the Academy.

The prince quickly washed his clothes and set them in the sun to dry. He then washed himself and cleaned his teeth using the aromatic sticks that were used in Albion for cleaning and freshening the mouth. Once his clothes were dry, he dressed, strapped on his gauntlet and dagger, and proceeded to the Academy. It was then that he realised he didn't know where to go. Having never been outside the castle, and the Brightwall Academy rarely ever mentioned during his time there, he had no idea what building it was. He thought about it for a moment before coming to the conclusion that such a place would likely need a large amount of space for classes and storing the books.

He made his way to the back of the town, where the huge building was situated against the crumbling wall. He again noticed that most of the buildings were houses. After about a fifteen minute walk through the town, the prince finally made it to the Academy. He pushed open the doors and entered.

* * *

The only sound was of the doors closing behind him. The inside of the Academy was not what he was expecting at all. Books and papers littered the floor and crates were stacked on top of one another. There were just enough candles to ensure visibility. A long corridor lead to an open room with four doors leading to other areas of the building. A square counter stood in the middle, open at the back so that the librarian could get in and out. He currently stood inside the small enclosure reading a book, his head in one hand. He appeared not to have heard the prince enter. The young man walked towards the counter, his footsteps echoing through the building.

"The library is closed by order of the king," he said lazily, not even looking up. "We don't serve drinks. We don't sell chicken feed. Please leave before the soldiers suspect you of gaining any real knowledge." He said it disinterestedly, like he couldn't care less if the prince listened or not. The prince just ignored him and walked up to the counter. He loudly cleared his throat to get the man's attention.

"Huh-? Sweet papyrus!" he said incredulously, "A real visitor! I- I'm afraid I was speaking the truth. King Logan has closed the Academy. I'm little more than a custodian these days."

The prince simply pulled the Guild Seal from its pouch and held it up for the man to see. He looked astounded to see the Seal and immediately realised the significance of such a thing. "The Guild Seal! I haven't seen it since the old Hero King last came here. Then you are-"

"The Prince. Yes," he interrupted. "I would prefer my real identity remain unknown during my time here."

"If you don't mind my asking, why _are _you here?"

"I've heard of a chamber beneath the Academy. Apparently my father had it built."

"Ah, yes. Well, no one has actually ever been to this chamber, but the entrance lies beyond a door just down that way. Please, come this way." The prince followed the man down a corridor and a few sets of stairs. He realised that it would take him decades to thoroughly read through all the books and scrolls that were kept in the Academy. "Your father told me that one day a challenger bearing the Seal would come seeking entry to the Reliquary," he said as they walked through the Academy, "but I never imagined it would happen in my lifetime." The man continued talking. Living inside with few or no companions had clearly had some effect on his mind. "It was he who founded the Academy, of course. I have often wondered how he would react to see it in its present state." They entered a room that was almost completely empty. Only a few bookcases, windows, and tables within. Four suits of armor stood within their own squares of roped poles. He stopped at a large set of metal doors with bars and gears all over it, making sure that no one could enter but the prince. "Here we are. I can't tell you how many of our researchers and professors have studied this door, hoping to unlock its mechanism. But I knew there was only one thing that would ever open it."

The prince walked up to the door. He noticed a small circle with four empty spaces at the corners. Just the right size and shape for the Seal. He placed it in the circle and the door reacted instantly. Magic burst outwards and the gears turned, the bars all retracting. The prince grabbed the Seal and put it away. The doors opened; revealing a long flight of stairs leading to a passage deep underground. _Well, here we go_, he thought. And with that, he descended into the chamber.

* * *

The passage was long. Bookcases lined the sides and papers littered the floor. Braziers hung from chains and candles were randomly placed throughout. The passage led to an open area which the prince now walked to, the sound of his boots echoing through the chamber. The prince walked through the archway and stood on a balcony overlooking the chamber. Various stairways led to different parts of the Reliquary and a large platform hung suspended by chains over the dark maw of empty space. Crumbled columns were abundant and many of the stairways were unusable. He turned to the right and walked down the stairs, noticing the large webs covering many of the walls. _Hope there aren't any giant bugs._ _Nasty fuckers_. He whistled at Thorn. "Stay alert."

He made it to the bottom of the stairway and looked at his options: a barred door, or a drop into empty space. He walked over to the edge of the floor and a small blue object flew up from the darkness. A circle of blue light encased in a ring of metal and an image of a sword in the center. _What the hell is this thing_, he thought. As if he knew exactly what he was thinking, Jasper began explaining to the prince.

"Ah, hello. Jasper here again. I believe that amazing device is what is known as a flit switch. However, on the subject of amazing things, you will not believe what I have just found in the Sanctuary. You should come back as soon as you possibly can."

The prince grabbed hold of the Guild Seal and teleported to the Sanctuary. It looked like Jasper had finished cleaning; no books or papers lying around, no cobwebs, all the doors were able to be opened. Jasper stood by the door with the symbol of a sword and pistol. "This Sanctuary contains an armoury, within which are some truly remarkable weapons-Heroic weapons-which your father left for you. This way please." Jasper opened the door and stood aside, gesturing for the prince to go through.

When he entered the room, he noticed that it was nearly identical to the dressing room except that it was three times bigger and filled with weapons. Racks containing swords, axes, maces, and hammers of all sizes lined the walls between three sets of alcoves. Rifles, pistols and even some bows hung on pegs in the wall. Suits of armor stood on either side of the doorway and along the wall beside each alcove, as if standing guard. On the left wall were two alcoves. One had a sword placed on pegs in the wall, holding it horizontally. The other had a hammer in the same position. Jasper spoke up, "The book states that all these weapons were either used by your father or were handed down through your bloodline by your ancestors who used them. A few rarer weapons were collected because of their rarity and/or sentimental value to your family. However, the sword and hammer here were crafted specifically for your usage by your father. They are some of the deadliest weapons ever crafted and should fit to your person and fighting style perfectly. Your father left the choice of which to use up to you."

The prince walked up to the sword and inspected it. A wooden hilt wrapped in leather, about eight inches in length. The pommel and cross-guard were made of steel and had a dull shine to them. The scabbard was plain leather with bits of steel at the opening and the tip. The prince unsheathed the weapon to look at the blade. The steel blade was about 3 feet long and an inch and a half wide, tapering to a sharp point, and had a fuller running two-thirds the length of the blade(3). The edge was honed to perfection. It looked like it could cleave a man's head from his body with a single swipe. He sheathed the weapon and buckled on a sword belt so that it rested on his hips. He then buckled the scabbard to the left side of the belt so he could draw it with his right hand. Lastly, he strapped a small pouch containing a whetstone to the belt on his coat. He turned to Jasper and held his arms out, as if to say '_What do you think?'_

"Excellent sir. However, I think a weapon such as this requires a name as much as any of those lining the walls. Do you have any ideas?" the butler asked.

The prince thought about it for a second. He then unsheathed the blade and held it up, looking at it. "I name thee _Soulripper_. Now let us baptize you in blood my friend." He sheathed the blade and teleported out of the Sanctuary.

"Ah, yes; the flit switch. Now, the way you activate these is by hitting them. Your new weapon should serve that purpose ably," Jasper's voice sounded within the prince's head.

He drew the sword and swung it at the flit switch, which exploded in a burst of blue light and sailed through the air and landed within a small metal ring on the side of the hanging platform. There was a rumbling as a stone bridge extended out the hole next to the flit switch and spanned the gap between the prince and the platform. The prince walked across the bridge and noticed there were blue lights hovering in a cluster near the end of the platform. He had made it about halfway across the platform when one of the lights separated from the group and flew into the ground. A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Then a skeleton clawed its way up and stood, the light hovering within its chest. It was dressed in tattered cloth and rusted armor and armed with a nicked, rusty sword and an equally decayed cleaver. A few arrows were somehow still attached where they had hit the fallen warrior in its life. The most unnerving thing was the glowing green lights where its eyes once were. He didn't have any more time to look it over because it suddenly charged forward with a speed he didn't think possible for a corpse. He drew his sword and charged, the blade cleaving the fallen warrior's skull and then bringing it around to slice through his spine. The bones clattered to the floor, triggering a wave of blue lights to summon and possess more skeletal warriors. The prince fought his way through dozens of the undead, hacking and slashing and firing blasts of fire from his palm. Thorn ran at some; tearing off their limbs or distracting them so the prince could take them out. Once they were all dealt with, the pair continued onwards. Through the door on the other side of the gap was another cavern with a deep pit. A couple stone platforms stood in the midst of the pit, chests sitting on top, waiting to be opened. When he made it to the edge another flit switch, red this time, with a lightning bolt on it, flew a few metres out over the drop. The prince figured it must require magic and launched a fireball at it, causing a stairway to rise from the abyss. At the top was a small blue light that caused another platform to rise when the prince stepped on it. He worked his way to the other side of the gap, opening the chests (containing gold, a few health potions and a pair of black, fingerless gloves (which he put on)), and fighting skeletal warriors. He jumped off a ledge, which in turn led him to a broken bridge that he had to jump off and into water below. He swam to a stairway leading up to a circular door.

"I believe it requires you to launch a charged fireball at the center," Jasper said helpfully.

He did just that. The door rolled to the side allowing the prince to pass through into another wide cavern. He fought his way through more waves of undead, pausing to wrap a piece of cloth around his arm where one of them wounded him. He went up a flight of stairs where a skeleton lay next to a barred door. There were a few papers next to the bones. He stopped to read them; one was a schematic of the Reliquary. Another contained a few notes, presumably written by the man. The last appeared to be a journal entry. The prince took a few seconds to read it.

_So this is how it ends. I steal the blueprints for the dungeon from the architect who built it, find the secret entrance on the other side of Mistpeak, almost get killed by several Hollow Men, stub my toe against a rock so that it really hurts when I walk, and now this. I know there's a great treasure in here somewhere, and I know it has something to do with these braziers, I just don't know _what._ But I'm not leaving until I solve this riddle. _

"Poor bastard," he said quietly. He looked to see two rows of braziers extending away from the door. Only one was lit and the prince thought maybe if he extinguished it the door would open, but when he did, nothing happened. Then he decided to light them all and was rewarded with the bars retracting and the door rising up. On the other side was a small stone table with a silver key and a note from the prince's father.

_My son_

_No doubt you will come across a few rare chests in your adventures the same as I did. These "silver key chests" contain special items of great value. They have multiple locks that you will not be able to open without having enough of these keys, even if you shoot the lock. Usually no more than five. I once had them all but they were lost on one of my adventures when I was young. Here is the only one I managed to keep hold of, to get you started. In recent years there have also been found "golden doors" each requiring a specific gold key to open it. I also leave one of these to you. Use the treasures contained within wisely. _

The prince took the keys from the table, thanking his father. He placed the keys in one of his pouches and walked back through the door, continuing his quest. The path led to a huge cavern where he quickly dispatched a number of hollow men. He came to another ledge where the path continued upwards in a square spiral. As he looked down into the darkness below, another flit switch, yellow this time, with a crosshair symbol on it, flew up and hovered in the air a few feet from where he stood. Jasper chose that precise moment to enlighten the prince.

"Ah, hello…yes. You'll recall that I mentioned that flit switches require a knock from a melee weapon. Well it seems that was only partially correct. According to the book, only blue switches require melee weapons. The red variety requires magic, and to activate the yellow switches, you must shoot them with a firearm." The prince was about to remark about how he had none before Jasper continued. "Fortunately, that section of the book also indicated where the firearms were located. You should return to the Sanctuary at your earliest convenience."

The prince flashed to the Sanctuary, where Jasper was waiting next to the door to the armoury. "Ah, so the weapons in question were also left for you by your father. They are in the armoury." The butler followed the prince through the door. The young man walked up to the two alcoves on the right side of the room, where there were two firearms on pegs in the wall: a rifle and a pistol. The rifle's wood stock was about a foot long, with bits of cloth wrapped around it and the grip. The barrel was about 2 feet long, with sights at the muzzle and breech, and the weapon was loaded at the breech through the top. A simple leather sling was attached to the weapon.(4)

The pistol was similar to the rifle. The wood grip was wrapped in strips of cloth and the 6 1/2 inch barrel was made from the same metal as the rifle's(5). The weapon was loaded through the side and the rounds were stored in a tube under the barrel, and fired a smaller, round tipped bullet. A leather holster hung on the wall next to the weapon. The prince strapped it to the opposite side of the sword belt and placed the pistol in it, barrel pointing behind him, and took the rifle and slung it on his back. A few shelves containing pouches and ammunition were under the weapons. The prince strapped the pouches on the back of the belt and placed a few dozen rounds of ammo in each. Upon further reflection, he decided to strap a dagger to the belt, near his sword, and another to his right thigh. Satisfied he exited the Sanctuary.

Back in the Reliquary, the prince drew the pistol, took aim, and shot the flit switch. A burst of yellow light signaled the accuracy of the shot and the flit switch flew into a metal circle at the base of the pillar. A bridge extended down to his side of the gap and a small group of undead waited on the other side. The prince aimed at their skulls and shattered them all with each shot. He reloaded the pistol and continued onwards. Each platform required him to deal with large amounts of skeletal warriors before the bridge would extend down for him. He dispatched all of them quickly and efficiently (using mostly his sword to conserve ammunition) before crossing the last bridge leading to a large chamber. He walked down the stairs and up another set to stand in front of his objective. Upon a pedestal sat his father's music box. The one that changed his life forever; turning a poor street urchin to the path of a powerful Hero and wealthy King. A small ray of light shone on the box through a hole in the cavern ceiling far above and the tune still played from within. When the prince picked up the box, a ray of light shot out the top and Theresa's voice sounded within his head.

"You have done well. Now, step into the light. There is much you need to know." A smoky Guild Seal appeared a few feet in front of him and he walked through.

* * *

On the other side, he stood back on the path in the void, the music box still in his hands. He was in front of the second gate, where the images of Walter and Jasper stood. Theresa stood in between them. She said, "Congratulations, Hero." He noted her use of the word. "Touching the Guild Seal was an indication of what you could become. Reaching the music box has proven what you already are. No one but a Hero could have done it." He recalled the dead man outside the barred door. _Apparently_, he thought. "You have begun to learn what powers you possess, and there is still greater potential within you. Albion is crying out for a revolution, and for someone to lead it. Winning supporters to your cause will be hard. Leading them against Logan will be an even greater challenge. But it is one you must accomplish."

"I'll make him pay for what he's done," the prince said, his deep voice filled with barely contained rage.

"This is not a matter of personal vengeance," she said. "As long as your brother sits on the throne, Albion is in great danger. Open the music box," she said, gesturing to the object, "It will show you the truth."

The prince twisted the little handle on the side of the box and the top opened, releasing a reddish-orange light.

* * *

Suddenly the prince was no longer on the path. He felt as though he were outside of his body, like he was viewing something from within a dream. He was inside the war room in Bowerstone Castle. Logan walked in and began to circle the map, speaking to himself as he walked.

"_This is my Albion."_

"_Its cities will bow to my law, or they will burn."_

"_Its mountains will bend to my will, or they will fall."_

"_This is my Albion."_

"_Its people will do as I say, or they will die."_

"_Its future will be as I decree or it-will-_end_. I've seen what must be done, and _nothing_ will stand in my way. We _will _be greater, and we _will _be stronger, no matter what sacrifices we must make."_

He turned and leaned on the map, his armor clinking as he did so. A menacing light shone in his eyes as he ended his speech.

"_This is my Albion,"_ he snarled, the scars on his lips rippling. _"And I will see it destroyed before I surrender it._

* * *

"If any part of you doubted the necessity of a revolution, you have your answer," the Seeress said, making it obvious he had little choice. "The kingdom will face its own annihilation under your brother's rule." He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but the prince thought about the way she said that. _Its own annihilation._ Did that mean there would be another, outside enemy after Logan was deposed? He had little time to mull over her words as she continued. "Now do whatever you must to gain your first ally, for you cannot lead a rebellion without followers. Sabine is a good man, and his people are strong." With that, she disappeared.

The prince pushed open the gates and walked through; another statue appearing on the pedestal. Four chests lined the right side of the path. One had a blue circle with a sword in the center. Another had a yellow circle with a cross-hair. The third had a red circle with a fireball. The last was red with a lightning bolt. The prince walked up to the first one with the sword on it. He opened the chest and some unknown force caused him to draw his sword from its scabbard. He held it tightly as the air around him was sucked towards the weapon. Raw power began building within him until he thrust the sword over his head and the power burst outwards in a shockwave and burst of white light. When the light died down he noticed that the sword appeared to be a few inches longer and a little heavier. The edge also appeared to somehow be even sharper than before. The only other difference was that a set of glowing white runes appeared on the blade. He sheathed the weapon and opened the second chest, repeating the previous process and leaving the rifle with a longer stock and barrel and the pistol had a longer barrel. Both weapons were slightly heavier and upon further examination he saw that the pistol was slightly larger to accommodate a few extra rounds, bringing the total to eight. The rifle still held five and neither had any runes on them. Upon opening the third chest, the process was repeated, but no visual differences could be seen to the gauntlets, but he felt like he could access the magic more easily now. The last chest contained another gauntlet that he strapped on his left arm. He brought the energy up and released it, and was pleasantly surprised when a bolt of electricity shot from his hand. Satisfied, the prince walked to the gate and through the portal.

* * *

The librarian stood behind the counter in the Brightwall Academy, reading one of the innumerable books that were stored inside. "Oh you _naughty_ girl. You _really_ are asking for a spanking young lady. Oh, yes indeed." All of the sudden the prince appeared in a column of blue light in front of him. "Geeaaah! Oh, blessed index cards, you made it! This is cause for great rejoicing. Albion has a Hero again!" he quickly closed the book and placed it under the counter before the prince could see what it was. "If ever I can be of assistance, I will be honoured to serve you." The prince grunted an acknowledgement.

"I knew you would succeed, sir," Jasper's voice rang out. "You now have proof positive of your Heroic status. And Walter dropped in earlier. He has made some progress with the mercenary problem. He is waiting for you outside the tavern." The prince walked down the hall and through the doors into the streets of Brightwall.

* * *

1.) Basically the exact layout of Brightwall but bigger and with more housing and shops. And the circular commons area just inside the gate is bigger too.

2.) The Practical Prince boots; Practical Prince pants died black and with a leather belt; the Dweller Upper Body item dyed black(the coat itself is black not just a different shade of its standard color and instead of a fur collar think of a more traditional overcoat collar. But other than that, exactly how it is in-game(but black).)

3.) Exactly how it looks when you first get the blade but narrower at the hilt like it is on the box's cover art, and with a fuller.

Copy and paste this into your search bar to see what the sword belt looks like (go to my profile page)

Either F or G work.

4.) Again, exactly how it looks in-game but with my modifications.

5.) See #4. And the holster for the pistol is arranged so that he draws it with his left hand. Not a quick-draw with his right.

**And that's chapter three. 17 pages in Word. Nearly 7000 words (of actual story). I think we'll soon hit the 10000 mark. I am also deeply saddened by the lack of reviews. However I would like to thank Lord Halcyon for favoriting my story. It gives me the inspiration to continue. This marks the last chapter before the special prize ends. If no one even attempts to guess his name, then I will not be giving away the prize nor will I be including the feature the prize would have garnered. But you still have a few days to get your answer in. Also, anyone who wants to apply for that character creation application, **_**that**_** offer stands for another ten or so chapters **_**at the very least.**_** This one I really would like to have fulfilled because of its importance to the story and I figure it's a nice way to include you guys in the story process. But please apply and someone guess his name correctly. Just Google ****Oscar Johansson**** and you should easily be able to find it. I know that there are plenty of people reading this. It's a matter of letting me know what you think and telling me how I could improve. Hell even asking about the story a bit in a PM gives me the motivation to continue. It lets me know that I'm doing a good job. I even gave you guys some sex in this one. But whatever. Chapter four will be underway soon enough and will come even quicker if someone guesses the prince's name. It's in your hands my readers.**

**Addio. **


	4. Chap4TheAbhorredChildandHonou rableMerc

**So, yeah…there's this video on YouTube…some kind of trailer for the game. "Revolution". Look it up and you'll see roughly how I imagine the Hero. His facial features anyway. And how he conducts himself. And the pistol. Not the outfit…Yeah…**

**I should also probably warn you that this chapter is going to contain some language that a few of you may find offensive. All I can say is that's just how I imagine the characters talking. There will also be a few explicit descriptions of violence. This probably won't be much of an issue since our generation has been almost completely de-sensitized to violence. At least when it isn't in real life anyway. That's when it hits them that things hurt and people actually die. But I digress. I do hope that such things don't get between us, my dear readers. On to the story.**

IV

The Abhorred Child and Honorable Mercenary

"You were successful then. Bloody marvellous. You'll be glad to know I have some information on the mercenaries Sabine mentioned." They were standing outside the entrance to the pub; the sounds of the town at high noon all around them. Walter continued, "They're led by a man called Saker. He used to be a Captain in the Army, but he was always getting into trouble because of his little fight club he started. He decided he'd rather have his own army, and so finished his remaining years and then began recruiting men for his own little legion. He and his men are camped out in the mountains. It won't be easy to get in, but I have a plan."

"What is it?" Walter just grinned as though he were sharing a joke with the prince. He turned and walked into the inn, motioning for the prince to follow.

"Come with me," he said.

The young Hero followed the older man through the somewhat empty tavern, the only patrons being a few drunks and a whore, and up the stairs. Alice flashed him a mischievous smile as she passed them on her way down. The upstairs hallway was deserted. Walter walked to one of the rooms and unlocked the door, beckoning the prince inside.

"What the fuck?"

A man was sitting against the wall across from the bed. He was dressed in a black military style outfit with a dark red crow on the back and both sleeves ripped off to show his muscles. The shirt was open to display his chest and he was covered in tattoos. His most striking features however, were the broken, bloody nose and his hands tied behind his back.

"One of the mercenaries," Walter said, amused and grinning. "His name's Clarence but for some reason they all call him…Jimmy. He'd been drinking in the pub all day. Wasn't hard to get him to start something, and when he did I managed to break his nose and then drag him up here. Bloody lightweight if you ask me," he said, chuckling at the merc's angered expression.

"I assume I'm to impersonate him, follow him to the camp, walk right in, kill Saker, and walk right back out." Sounded easy enough, as long as his friends didn't look at him too closely.

"Exactly. You'll still need to put in a bit of extra effort. They may not be much more than bandits, but Saker doesn't recruit morons. They'll notice if you don't have his beard or tattoos. Unless you can grow out that scruff enough in the next few days, you should probably just shave and put on a fake beard. As for the tattoos, just use some charcoal."

The prince rubbed his jaw. "I should be good to go by the time I get there. I'll just need to get some charcoal for the tattoos and a hot meal before I rest."

"Alright then. In the meantime, I'll find out who to talk to about getting food to the Dwellers. They may not have much to spare here, but they're kind people. They'll just need some convincing."

The prince stopped Walter before he left. "Speaking of food…here," he said, tossing a sack of gold to the older man, "Jasper could use some supplies. See what you can find in the town."

"Will do. Good luck with the mercenaries. It'll be your first taste of real combat, but I know you'll do just fine." With that, the prince was on his own again. He turned to the merc, hoisting him to his feet and dropping him into one of the chairs. He quickly went to the door to make sure the hallway was empty, locked the door, then sat opposite the man. A heavy silence hung in the air as the two sat staring at each other; the tension almost tangible. The merc suddenly tensed up when he saw the prince draw the dagger from his belt.

"Relax. I'm not going to kill you. You're still useful to me." He cut the cloth that served as a gag, but did not sheathe his blade. He tapped the mercenary on the nose with the flat of the blade. "I'm going to ask you a few questions. I will ask each only once. If you refuse to answer, I will remove your parts piece by piece until you tell me what I want to know. Understood?" The man nodded. "How many men are garrisoned at Saker's camp?"

The rogue considered testing the young Hero's resolve; whether he would make good on his threat. After all, he wasn't much more than a boy, and he'd be damned if a boy got the better of him. But something in the eyes, the dark; grim; deep brown eyes, that told him that it was no idle threat. This kid said what he'd do, and he was gonna do it.

"Depends. We number 'bout two-fifty, but most of the boys'll be out on contract. There'd prob'ly only be 'bout sisty or so." Sixty men. That might be difficult for him and Thorn alone.

"What's the layout?"

"Well…ya got the main gate. Jus' inside 'at's the sentry tower, notin' big or fancy, just so that the lookout can get a better view o' the land. Path leads through some crumbled Ol' Kingdom pillars. 'Nother walled gate an' a tower, then the path curves left to another gate. Not much 'tween the two. Few cannons and some cages. Past the gate I jus' mentioned is mostly livin' quarters an' such. Graves for our fallen lads, a mess hall. An' more cannons of course. Next gate guards the main trainin' area an' Saker's quarters. A water tower too, an' the smithy. Las' gate is little diff'rent. S'right nes' to the training area, yeah, but 'is one's for executions or bettin' on the fights. Big ring. Saker 'as a little spectator's tower for himself; towards the back. Rest o' the lads jus' stand on the platforms behind the wall."

"Armament?"

"Ev'ry man'll 'ave a sword an' either a rifle or pistol, cannons, like I mentioned. Barrels of powder an' crates of shot usually sit together near the cannons."

The prince had been watching the man intently while he talked; searching for any signs of treachery. He concluded the man was being honest and sheathed the dagger. Gagging him and patting his shaved head, he said, "Good man." He turned to leave, but then turned back to the man. "I assume you came armed?"

He nodded.

"Where?"

He motioned with his head towards the bed. The prince lifted up the straw mattress and retrieved a sword and pistol. Average quality, standard issue in the Army. Likely common weapons among Saker's men. The prince placed the weapons back under the mattress and gagged the other man again.

* * *

He went back to the ground floor of the inn, bought a bottle of spirits, and sat at a table in the back right corner, so as to watch the proceedings without being watched himself. As it turned out however, someone _was_ watching. A newcomer, a girl, sat at one of the tables close to the door. He hadn't seen her yesterday and so assumed she must've just arrived this morning. Piercing blue/violet eyes set in a thin face, with long, dark hair and pale, unblemished skin. Thin black brows set in a slight "V", a small "button" nose, and a small mouth finished the picture. Her face was contorted as though she smelled something foul. All the prince could smell was the meat being served as lunch and alcohol. Either she was a vegetarian, disliked alcohol, or both. He looked at her clothes, consisting of a dark, raggedy dress and a faded green shirt with black stripes. She wore an off-white apron over her outfit and black leggings on her…legs. Her breasts were small, especially compared to most women in Albion, but they fit her slender frame and were still noticeable. He was interrupted with his study when Alice came over to take his order and flirt with him a bit.

"Who's the lass? At that table there?" he said, ignoring her advances.

She looked to see who he was talking about. "Dunno. You'll have to ask Shaun." He was the inn owner. The young prince watched as Alice walked over to where Shaun stood behind the bar and spoke with him. Well, he watched her ass swaying for him anyway. Shaun walked over to him.

"Need something? Alice said you wanted to talk."

The prince didn't answer immediately. He stared at the mystery girl a little while before addressing the older man. "That girl…near the door. Who is she?"

"Not sure. She paid for a room not long after you left. Didn't give a name, had no possessions save a book an' her coin pouch, didn't ask for breakfast, an' she acted as though the place stinks." He said that last part a little annoyed.

"Did she say anything?"

"Only how much would a room cost. She seems a little…strange. An' more than a little mysterious. Bit like you actually, if you don't mind my sayin'."

"That's all," he said, effectively ending the conversation. This girl was a mystery. She was attractive, in a young and innocent kind of way, even though her eyes said she was anything but innocent. And that quality is exactly what drove the prince to walk to her table and sit across from her: he had to know more. She looked up from the book she was reading when he sat down and looked at him with her cold blue eyes.

"What is your name?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"I wasn't aware the Royal Army dressed like vagrants now," she said and turned back to her book. Her voice was lower but unmistakably feminine, unlike Elise's or Alice's higher voices.

"I'm not in the Army."

She sighed. "Well that can only mean one thing then."

"I am not a vagrant either. I am, however, curious about your name."

She sighed heavily and closed the book. Obviously this man wasn't going to leave her alone. "If you must know, my name is Rie. And unlike your 'friend' over there," she said referring to Alice, "I'm not interested."

The prince smirked. "You must be pretty smart."

"Yes, actually, I am," she said snippily.

"But obviously not as smart as you think you are," he continued. "That isn't why I came over here."

"Really?" she interrupted. "Is that why you were staring at my tits for the better part of a minute?"

"There isn't much tit to look at there," he retorted, attempting to anger her.

"Didn't seem to make a difference to you. Seemed like you were entranced." He had no response and she knew it. The girl made a sound of superiority and stood up to leave. As she turned to walk away, something caught the prince's eye. His hand shot out and grabbed her left wrist, turning it so the inside faced up. On her wrist was a small black tattoo in the shape of an "S" with a circle around it. The insignia of the Hero's guild.

The prince stood, towering over her slender body, and looked at her intensely. "Where did you get that?"

"I…" she trailed off.

"Where!" he shouted.

"I don't know! I've had it as long as I can remember."

"Come with me," he said, starting for the stairs. When he noticed she wasn't following he turned and said, "I wasn't asking," his voice becoming steely and losing what little friendliness was present before. She quickly followed him to his room upstairs.

"Who is he?" she asked when she noticed the still conscious mercenary tied in the chair.

"Fuck him. Right now I'm interested in who _you_ are."

"I told you-"

"No. I want your full name. Rie is not your full name. You must have a surname, or perhaps that's a shortened name."

"How would you know?"

"I may be dressed like a vagrant, but I'm much smarter than one."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Tell me _your_ name and I'll tell you mine."

"Doesn't work like that. _I_ ask the questions and _you_ answer them," he said with the authority of a god. Rie had been trying to find a way to outsmart the Hero, but she reluctantly concluded that she was completely at his mercy. She hated the powerless feeling. And she hated him for making her feel it. All her life she had gotten by on her wits and the ability to out-think her adversaries. Now that she had met someone who could obviously do the same, she was defenseless.

Rie looked down at her feet, no longer attempting to appear calm and unfazed. "I don't want to tell you," she said quietly.

"_Why not_?" he responded, barely able to contain his anger at her lack of cooperation.

"Because I don't. Can I go now?" she asked snidely while making for the door.

The prince quickly stepped between her and the door and yelled at her. "You sit down 'till I'm finished!"

Rie huffed and flopped into the chair that was still across from the mercenary. The young man eyed her briefly before addressing her again. "Tell me what you know of that tattoo. _Everything_."

"Other than the fact that it was given to me by my parents, who I never knew, I know nothing."

The prince tried to examine her to see if she was lying, but he couldn't tell. If she was, she was good at hiding it. She kept direct eye contact, didn't fumble with her words, and seemed to be breathing normally. For now he had no choice but to accept her answer. He harrumphed loudly before turning to look out the window and gather his thoughts. He finally turned back around after a minute or so. "I need to sleep."

She stood up and tried to exit again but was again denied. "I never said you could leave. I can't let you go when you are potentially important. You're staying right here."

"No, I'm not." Instead of responding the prince just grabbed her and threw her onto the bed, then tied her down. He whistled at Thorn.

"Stay here. Watch them." The dog barked once, as if to acknowledge the Hero. He checked the merc's ropes to make sure they were tight, then retired to his own room for the night.

* * *

A loud slap echoed in the room, stirring Rie from her unusually dreamless sleep. She heard a somewhat familiarly deep voice ordering someone to get up. At first she thought she was being addressed, but then remembered someone else had been hit. She then realized she was tied to her bed. She struggled against her bonds briefly before the voice actually did address her, telling her not to bother. She was almost fully awake now and raised her head enough to see a scruffy young man cutting the bonds off another scruffy looking man.

"Let's go. You're going to guide me to the camp."

The other man spit on the ground in front of the one who had spoken. The younger man stepped forward as the other man must have planned, because as soon as the younger of the two was close enough, he reached for one of the blades at his captor's side. The young man must've been expecting it however, because he quickly reacted: grabbing the arm that was reaching towards him and twisting it while kicking the back of the man's knees and forcing him down. He held the arm outstretched and parallel to the ground, the hand pointing up and palm facing towards the body. He placed his fingers around the hand and pushed his thumbs into the back of it, pushing it slightly in toward its owner's body.

"You will take me." It wasn't a question, and it was obviously non-negotiable. He released his prisoner from the uncomfortable position and tied his hands together in front of him. He started to march him towards the door when Rie called out.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here!" The nerve of this guy. First he practically kidnaps her, forcing her to come here, then he ties her to a bed early in the afternoon to be watched over by his beastly dog. Now he was going to try and leave her tied up while he took some other poor bastard on a trip to some camp. Not a chance.

"I suppose not. But I'm not finished with you yet." The message was clear. 'I'll let you go, _if _you can give me a reason I should.'

Now was her time to use her wits to her advantage. "Someone would eventually find me. And they will untie me and I will be gone long before you get back."

He threw the man to the ground and walked towards her saying, "Then I'll just have to hide you."

"You could take me with you."

"Why?"

"It makes the most sense. You can keep an eye on me to make sure I don't escape. No one will be able to hear my cries for help. It's-"

"Not going to happen. I haven't the resources to keep you alive and I won't bring you into a fight so that I can worry about keeping you alive. You will stay here and keep your mouth shut."

"Believe it or not, I can take care of myself."

"Clearly."

"Against most people, I can. You're different."

He smirked slightly. "So I've noticed. What can you offer me that will barter you're freedom?"

"My brain."

"Fancy yourself a smart one, do you?"

"I _am_. I could help you with whatever it is you're planning on doing. I'm an excellent strategist, and I have wits as sharp as that blade you have there."

The prince shrugged his shoulders. "Not much of a bargain, but...you've piqued my interest." He sliced off her bonds and said, "Let's go."

Rie rubbed her wrists to restore circulation. "Where _are_ we going?"

"To visit the smith. You need weapons."

* * *

"Here you'll need this," the prince said, tossing a long dagger at Rie. He picked up a pistol and looked it over to check its quality, then placed it back. He found another of higher quality and dropped it in her arms. He grabbed a whetstone, ammo pouches, ammunition, a short sword, and a few belts for all the weapons. He just kept piling it all on.

"I don't have enough money for all this."

"I do."

"I don't have the skill."

"I'll teach you."

"Why are you doing this?"

"To keep us alive."

"You're talkative this morning," she muttered under her breath. She thought _she _was anti-social. He was turning out to be a real arse. He simply grunted in response, his face showing no emotion.

He paid the blacksmith the gold and they were on their way towards the Mistpeak valley.

* * *

It was an uneventful day. They'd walked nonstop from the time they left Brightwall up to sundown. They stopped on a small rock shelf hanging over one of the many paths crisscrossing the mountains, the tree-line a few meters to their backs. The prince tied up the merc and fastened him to one of the trees, then started a fire. He set some meat over it took cook and walked over to Rie.

"Get up."

She looked at him. "Why?" She didn't trust this man. Well, she didn't really trust anyone, but she especially didn't trust him. She didn't even know his name.

"Time for your lesson. Draw your blade."

"I don't see why I should. You've told me nothing about yourself or where we're going and I don't like it. I want some answers."

"We're going to kill people, I'm an impatient person, and you'll get answers when I do. Draw your blade," he said and proceeded to unsheathe his own weapon.

Rie drew her 20 inch blade and held it in a ready position like she'd seen in a few books she'd ready: left fist on her waist, elbow bent, right arm extended, sword held loosely, right foot forward, knees slightly bent.

The prince on the other hand stood almost casually. His right foot was forward and his right side slightly angled towards his opponent, sword held loosely and pointed at the ground, his left hand hanging at his side. He was waiting; waiting for her to make the first move. She did. Rie thrust her sword at his midsection only for it to be redirected to his side, her balance thrown off and she fell forward. The prince turned and grabbed her collar with his left hand, pulling her back and placing his blade to her neck. "Don't over-extend your reach. Too much momentum and you are thrown off balance and defeated by a single parry. Again."

They returned to their starting positions. This time the prince attacked first, swinging his sword at Rie's neck. She brought her sword up and blocked the blow, immediately following up with a thrust at his chest. The prince flicked his wrist and intercepted the blow much like he had the first time, but she was closer this time and did not extend herself too much. She retained her balance and when he parried her thrust she threw a fist at his jaw. Instead of leaning back like she expected, he ducked under the blow and went around her body, lightly elbowing her stomach as he went past her. Hard enough to make her remember, but light enough to cause no actual pain. He turned and placed his sword on her shoulder. "Good improvisation." She turned to face him, a scowl on her face. "Again."

This time she managed to use her mind to help her, not focusing on only the sword, but on his movements, their surroundings, jumping away from him to disengage when she couldn't bring her sword up. _Little moonlight. Edge over there. Kill the fire. Back him up to the edge. He goes over. Run for it_. All of this, she thought in seconds. The fire was burning low due to lack of fresh wood. Clouds mostly obscured the moon, so if she could extinguish the fire and back him to the edge of the overhang, she could force him over and be gone in seconds. She attacked him wildly, no precision or predictability to her movements. First towards the fire, making him kick the burning wood across the rock shelf and she kicked what dirt she could over it. Continuing her frantic attacks, she slowly forced him to the edge. Her plan might have worked; but he knew what she was trying. When she next swung he blocked so that their blades crossed. He grabbed her hilt beneath her hand and twisted, disarming her. However, luck seemed to be on her side, as the portion of the overhang the prince was standing on crumbled and he fell. Rie immediately turned and ran, making her way back towards Brightwall. The prince had managed to grab the edge and quickly pulled himself up, taking off after her. He was faster than her and was gaining quickly. Rie focused all her anger and brought it to the surface; feeling the power rising up. She turned and thrust her hand out, and a ball of fire flew in the prince's general direction. She smiled grimly to herself. _That should discourage him_. How wrong she was. She immediately stopped running when a bolt of lightning struck a tree a foot in front of her face.

The prince walked up to her and grabbed both her wrists with his hand, pulling her behind him. He sat her down and she obediently stayed put, knowing that if she moved again he could very easily electrocute her. He grabbed a length of rope and tied her hands and feet, re-lit the fire, and placed the meat on a small wooden plate. She took note of how he made sure to throw a piece to his dog before allowing himself to eat. "I knew there was a reason for that tattoo. Who were your parents?" he said between bites.

"Can I have some food first?"

"You'll eat when I'm satisfied with your answers," he snapped before she had even finished. "I've allowed you to play long enough. No more of this shit. Now, I'm pissed. You will tell me what I want to know or I will fucking end you!"

"End me then! I'm not going to tell you _anything_ because you won't reciprocate! I've told you my name, I allowed you to kidnap me, and I came along on your little adventure in the forest!"

"Only because you wanted to escape. You counted on me being just another brute. But I am not. I have brains. And I have powers. Powers which I should have realised you had the second I saw that mark. I know you know what it means. I know what blood runs in your veins. Now tell me _who's_."

"I told you I don't know who my parents are."

"Cut the shit!" He calmed himself before continuing. His voice became quiet and deathly serious, his face inches from hers. "Tell me everything you know about that symbol and what it stands for. _Now_. Or I _will_ get violent."

The girl snorted. "Do you think I haven't been threatened before? The past five years of my life have been nothing but threats and abuse."

The prince sighed, exasperated. This girl was getting on his nerves. Intelligent, cunning, brave, attractive. And stubborn as an ass. She was obviously determined to be a cold-hearted, secretive bitch. "Woman, I tire of your games. I could untie him and leave you to his mercies if you want," he said, referring to the captive mercenary. "When do you think it was that he last had a woman? One who has yet to be deflowered to boot. Still tight."

"Who says I haven't been?"

"You did when your eyes widened just now."

_Shit_. "And what happens if I oblige you? Do I get any answers?"

The prince placed a cigar in his mouth and lit it, relishing in his victory. "That depends on the quality of your answers," he said, blowing a smoke ring around her head, making her tense up.

Rie had hoped he might be kind enough to allow her a little food for agreeing, but he was obviously smart enough to realise that doing so would bite him in the ass in many different ways. "I never knew my parents; I swear. I had no idea what that tattoo meant either until I learned to read when I was fourteen. I found a book that contained information about something called the 'Guild of Heroes'. This was their symbol. I read about the history of the Guild, from the founding, through to the destruction."

"That book was likely lies conjectured with rumours. Do you truly know what the Guild was?"

"Not really."

The firelight cast an eerie glow on his face as he told her the history of the Heroes Guild. "This place took people who had a power within them. It trained them in the ways of combat…and the ways of magic. These Heroes protected Albion from any threat that has ever existed. At times they were noble warriors fighting for peace and justice. Other times, they weren't much more than mercenaries. But they always had the power inside them. _Our power_. It has become increasingly rare over the past two or three hundred years, and once the Guild was destroyed and the Heroes hunted to extinction, it all but disappeared. It generally is passed through blood, which is why I ask about your parents. One or both was a Hero."

She didn't want to believe what he said. How could she, a small and less than competent fighter, be the daughter of someone who was supposed to be the epitome of strength? "All the book said was that they weren't very nice people and kept many secrets."

"Because it was probably written in a time when they were closer to mercenaries than virtuous warriors. Possibly around the time of their dissolution."

"And why should I take your word for it?"

The prince held up his hand and made sparks dance across his wiggling fingertips. "Who has more credibility? Now about your name…what is it?"

"I told you I don't want to tell you."

"You also told me you didn't want to tell me about that tattoo, but look where we're at now."

"How do you know so much? You're dressed like a beggar, what with the long black coat and the dirt and holes in your clothes. You shouldn't know so much."

"Tell me your name and I'll feed you, free you, and give you answers."

She looked at him warily. "You expect me to believe you?"

"You have my word."

"Which is worth what?" she scoffed.

"Don't impugn my honour! I'm no low-life. I am dressed so because of my situation. I think I've proven that I'm a warrior. Warriors have honour and they tend to keep their word."

Rie sighed. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake by telling him her name.

* * *

"You bastard!"

"Hmm?"

"You lied to me!"

It was now morning and they were all preparing for the next day's journey. The merc led the two Heroes to Saker's camp, taking shortcuts and obscure paths to get there quickly and unseen. The prince had put an herb in Rie's food that would make her sleep and she succumbed just after he had told her what she asked.

"I said I would feed you; I did. I said I'd free you; I did. I said I'd tell you my name; I did."

"'Hero' is not a name. That's a title. And I'm hardly free. That beast of yours is watching me."

He reached down to pet Thorn. "He's harmless. So long as you don't try anything that is. And I cut your bonds. That is free enough for you."

* * *

The remainder of the trip was spent much as the previous day. Moving during the day, training at dusk, resting at night. Aside from the occasional wolf attack, nothing particularly exciting happened over the next two days. On the fourth day, they made it to the largest of the valleys in the Mistpeak Mountains. A huge lake sat right in the middle, with beaches ringing the edges, and fish swimming in the clear blue water. Evergreens were ever present on the valley floor as they were higher in the mountains. On the eastern side of the lake was a small copse of trees and a narrow strip of land forming a natural bridge over the water.

"'At's it. 'At's where yer 'eaded. Gate's jus' 'round the bend there."

"Thank you for your cooperation." The prince forced the mercenary to his knees and drew his dagger, placing the edge to the man's neck. He tried to slide it across his throat, but found he didn't have the willpower. Killing wolves and smashing skeletons was one thing, but this was a living person. This man hadn't wronged him in any way.

"Can't do it, can ya? I didn't think you 'ad the balls. Yer a nutless-" The prince drove the dagger into the merc's temple, killing him instantly.

Rie had watched with a keen interest to see what the prince would do. "Well I suppose you aren't as merciless as I thought," she said scathingly. "Then again, I am still your prisoner."

The prince ignored her as he stripped the dead man and dressed in his black military suit. Once he was finished, he shaved his face into the goatee that the man had been sporting and drew tallies on his arms with a piece of charcoal. "How do I look?" he asked Rie. He had explained the purpose of his journey that morning.

"Vile. You should fit right in."

"Similar enough to our friend there?"

She studied him briefly. "Hmmm. You should probably take his weapons."

"Right. Come here," he beckoned her. She walked over warily, not quite sure what he was planning. He took something from a pouch, but before she could see what it was they were standing somewhere else. The room was spinning and she felt nauseous. The prince held her around the waist to steady her.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary." Jasper appeared from the doorway leading into the Treasury. "Ah, hello sir. I see you've brought a guest. Might I ask who this lovely young lady is?"

"Rie. I met her in Brightwall. She'll be joining me in the camp."

"You're going to take a woman with you into battle, sir? I'm not quite sure that's the best…no matter. I'm sure you know what you're doing. Now, how might I help you?"

The prince handed Jasper his clothes. "If you could have them cleaned and ready for use within the next twenty minutes I would appreciate it. If things go awry, I would rather fight in my own clothes. These stink and don't fit as well."

"Not a problem sir. I'll get right on it." He took the clothes and left to go wash them. The prince turned to the girl. "Stay here and don't touch anything. I'll be back in a minute." He grabbed his weapons and walked into the armoury. He reappeared a minute later and grabbed Rie around the waist again. Although she didn't want to admit it, she was rather fond of his muscular arms encircling her waist. He had exercised plenty on the trip to the valley and was noticeably more muscular than when they first met. He looked rather dashing in his current attire and Rie was still human and a hormonal teenager. And this man put out an aura of sexiness. For the first time in years, she desired to have a man touch her. To run his hands through her hair and-_Stop! What are you thinking? Pull yourself together. He kidnapped you. Lied to you. He only wants you around because of your ties to the Heroes. _

She wasn't as nauseous as when they transported to the Sanctuary. He was glad about that anyway. But he had seen a strange look in her eyes just before they transported back to Albion. He wasn't quite sure what it was and it was fleeting, but it looked familiar. But he hadn't any time to dwell on it. _Focus. This can't be like him. No hesitation, no mercy, no quarter. Kill or be killed. They won't hesitate and neither will you._ He prepared himself for the worst and walked up to the gate. He wished he could have Thorn at his side, but Jimmy didn't have a dog.

A single man stood on the tower. The wall, the tower and the man were there, just like the merc said they would be.

"Hi, Jimmy. Back from killin' some Dwellers?"

"Yep," he drawled. "Went ta Brightwall too. 'Ad a few drinks, fucked that broad with the big tits. An' I looted some money offa some prick wit' his lute. I 'ate those damn things." He hoped the guard would buy the routine.

"Yeah, you bitch about Marty playin' 'is all the time. Who's the lass?"

"I found 'is one in the pub. She was real tight. Virgin too. Bled like a stuck pig. Thought maybe Saker'd like to 'ave a go too. Even if I broke 'er in first," he smiled. "I don' think she really minded much either. Practically begged me to get 'er outta there."

"Alright," he laughed, "Get yer lousy ass in there." He cranked the wheel to open the gate, allowing the two access to the camp. They were in.

* * *

The man hadn't lied. The layout was exactly as the mercenary had described. At least judging by what he could see. The sentry on the tower to the prince's right was singing and shooting at a crow flying around nearby, empty bottles on the edge of the tower and no doubt on the floor as well. They walked past the tower where two mercenaries were talking about a family business and murdering his father. One of them beckoned the prince over as he and Rie walked by. "Hey Jimmy, over 'ere mate!"

"What?" he said, still walking down the path.

"Show Stilts 'ere that thing ya do. Ya know. _The thing_."

The other man, Stilts looked at him, confused. "What thing."

The prince stopped and looked over at them, his mind going a mile a minute trying to figure out how to get away. "Can't ya see the bitch? I'm fuckin' horny; I'll show 'im later."

The two laughed. "Alright, go plug her," one of them said as he walked by.

The two Heroes continued on the path. They passed by a couple mercs in a little circle of cages. One contained a wolf that they were antagonizing. To the right was a small rise where another man was searching the ground, frantically trying to find something. Another hundred meters and they came upon the second gate. A single man stood on their side. "Hi Jim, 'ow's things? You been drinkin' in Brightwall again? Don' let anyone tell ya drinkin' alone is wrong. Some o' the best times I 'ad. Anyway, head on in."

Large area? Check. Housing? Check. Mess hall? Check. Graveyard? Check. Well he was an honest bastard if nothing else. Two men were sparring near a cooking fire, while a third tended it. Two others stood talking and another man was on duty at the gate a few feet away. The young pair managed to make it to the other gate without incident. The prince was almost unhappy. Just through the next gate and he'd be ready to face Saker. _These boys must be so used to seeing each other, they don't really look at each other's faces. They see the personalized outfits and recognize that person based upon it._ All but two. The two mercs standing around one of the wooden cabins next to the gate talking noticed the prince and Rie.

"Jimmy? Is that really you?" asked the one on the porch. "You look different somehow. Were your eyes always that colour?"

The other one on the ground looked closely at the prince. "Course it's me ya dumb bastard," the prince tried to cover quickly.

"Nah," the second one said. "Jimmy's got green eyes. That ain't-" He was cut off by the prince kicking him into the railing. He drew the looted sword and pistol; shooting the other mercenary in the head. He replaced the pistol in the holster and readied himself for the inevitable fight.

"If you can, light these sons of bitches up," he said to Rie. "And try to stay in cover until we're re-armed." He saw her send a fireball at the gate guard before she disappeared from his line of sight.

Two mercs rushed him, coming in on different sides. He blocked a swipe at his head and kicked the man away before parrying a chop at his sword arm. The move threw the man off balance and the prince cut off his hand before stabbing him through the heart. By this time the other one had jumped back in, and they exchanged a few blows before the prince kicked his knee and stabbed him through the neck. He turned to finish off the disoriented man he'd kicked to find him dead and an angry Rie standing over him with a bloody sword. "Nice job," he praised. She just smiled slightly in return.

They could hear the alarm going off on the other side of the gate and moved into position behind some sandbag barricades; ready to fight the men they had already passed by. The gate opened and the prince immediately picked off two of them with the rifle before being forced into cover. He motioned for the girl to stay put and then sprinted across open ground to the next set of sandbags; drawing their fire. He was glad Rie was smart enough to realise his intent. She stood up, launched a fireball at one of the men, then ducked down to avoid being shot. The prince meanwhile, popped up and got one of the men in the throat. That left three more. He tossed the pistol over to the girl and motioned for her to wait. The prince paused a few seconds then sprinted for the cover of a stack of crates, firing a few shots and managing to kill one of the three men remaining. The mercenaries knew what he was doing however, and when Rie stuck her head up to shoot, she was nearly shot herself by one of them while waiting for her to appear. The prince peeked around the side of the crates to see where the mercs were positioned and fired a round at one of them while he was reloading. A bullet flew by his head and he ducked back behind his cover. He motioned to Rie and sprinted out of cover at the man, swinging the rifle. Rie shot the mercenary in the arm when he tried to bring his rifle up to shoot the prince. The man was still able to get a shot off before his head was bashed, and the shot grazed the prince's side. But that was the last shot he would ever fire.

"Not bad," he called to Rie. "Least not for how little time I was able to teach you."

"I told you I'm a strategist, not a fighter."

"That's why I'm teaching you. Come here." She did as he asked and he grabbed her and teleported them to the Sanctuary. The prince immediately began stripping and Jasper appeared with his clothes and their weapons. The prince dressed and strapped on his weapon belts, Rie doing the same. They were out of the Sanctuary in a flash.

They fought through the next gate and up the path towards Saker's arena, sustaining a few minor wounds. They made use of the powder barrels to clear out the area near the blacksmith's cabin and were ducked behind a few sandbags, waiting for a few mercenaries to walk into the ambush they had set up.

"Oi! We got 'em lads! The bastards are dead!" the prince yelled out in his best mercenary impression. He had stood a few of the dead men up using their rifles and made it look like they were gathered around some dead bodies, as his female companion had instructed. When the small group of five men warily walked out to see if it was true, the prince peeked his head out just enough to see them walking, and waited until they were in position. He jumped up, aiming quickly and pulled the trigger of his rifle, causing the half dozen powder kegs around the group to explode, body parts flying everywhere. The prince turned his head to see Rie retching from the violent spectacle and the smell of burnt flesh. He gave her a minute to compose herself, then made her get up so they could continue.

They made their way further up the path, where a ring of cages lay. A couple mercenaries were waiting for them and let the wolves contained within loose upon sight of the two Heroes. The prince quickly took care of the wolves with his pistol before attending to the men. He took two down with his last remaining rounds then went sword on sword with the last two. He blocked one blow and ducked under the other without breaking contact with the first. He slashed the man's midsection and stabbed him just below his sternum. He brought his sword around and cut off the second man's hand when he turned. Kicking him away, the prince finished off the first man by beheading him, but when the other man pleaded for his life, he hesitated. He stuck his sword in the dead man and reloaded his pistol. Just as he was finishing, the man got up the nerve to lunge at the prince and attempted to strangle him with his arm. The prince shoved the barrel of the gun into the merc's face and pulled the trigger, skull fragments and brain matter exploding onto the young man's face. He cleaned himself a little bit and grabbed his sword, cleaning off the blade before sheathing it. Down the hill were Saker's cabin and a large group of mercenaries dug in behind sandbags. He ducked behind a tree and pointed out a spot for Rie, which she quickly moved to. They exchanged fire with the mercs, the prince taking care of a majority, and took out a fair number with the help of the powder kegs. Rie blew it up which caused the men to scatter in an attempt to avoid the same fate as the other men caught in the blast, only to be killed by the prince as they ran for cover. They walked the remaining distance to the arena, taking in the sight of the walled off area.

"Drop 'em. Now!" a voice yelled from ahead. Apparently they hadn't dealt with all of the men yet. The prince tried to gauge the likelihood of killing them all, but gave up. There were six men: all armed; all trained; and all pointing their rifles at the two of them. He couldn't win this by force.

He nodded to Rie and unstrapped his weapons, moving slowly and exaggeratedly to make sure they didn't get nervous and shoot him. Rie followed suit.

"I don' know 'ow two of ya managed to make it past all those men, but this ends now," the one in charge said.

"Ha," the prince laughed, "You're damn right it does." He nodded to Rie and thrust his fists outward, fire and lightning burning and electrocuting the men in front of him. Screams filled the air as the men who had been targeting them seconds before, were now writhing in agony, attempting to put out the fire that enveloped them. The ones hit by lightning were ominously still, their hearts no longer beating, gaping holes where the electricity had struck them. The prince turned to see that Rie had lit the men on fire. They were silent now, the fire still burning their lifeless bodies, and she was on the ground, trying not to vomit from the disgust of what she had just done. The prince placed a hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away and quickly stood.

"I'm fine."

The young man just grunted in response. They were once again faced with the prospect of getting past that damned gate. It was too high to scale, and would take too long to hack it down. "Pile those barrels over there," Rie said, pointing to a stack of powder kegs nearby. The prince did as she said, smiling grimly to himself.

"I think I like this plan."

Once they were all stacked at the base of the gate, he picked up one of the mercenaries' rifles and fired at the powder barrel. The effect was incredible. The gate was now non-existent, the wall on either side missing huge chunks. The prince ran through the smoke into the arena.

* * *

A shot rang out, the bullet landing a few feet to the prince's right. A voice called out to the hundred or so mercenaries lining the seats around the arena floor, "Leave him! He's _mine_." The voice was deep and commanding. The owner was confident and perhaps even arrogant. He was also huge. At least seven feet tall, with massive muscles showing from behind what clothing he had on his torso. His head was shaved with a strip of hair running down the center and a cigar in his mouth. He had a brutal face; scars, a blind eye, the lot. His hands were wrapped and spikes lay on top of his knuckles. He wore a pair of metal greaves with knee-guards in the shape of a wolf's head. The red crow sigil was tattooed on his chest and a few medals hung from his jacket. This was Captain Saker.

"You've left quite a trail of bodies. You're not one of Sabine's Dwellers, that's for damn sure. But you'll die like one." He swung his legs over the railing of his little tower and crashed to the ground.

The prince turned to Rie. "Get back. Now." She didn't need any convincing and quickly backed up towards the gaping hole they'd made.

"So how do you wanna die boy?" Saker said. "Think you can take me unarmed, or do you wanna keep your toothpick?"

It would be easy to just shoot the bastard, but there was no honour in it. And the same could be said for his sword. The man clearly had an advantage unarmed though, especially with those spikes. He unstrapped his weapon belts and took off his long coat so his movement would be unhindered. He drew the long dagger from the sheath on his thigh. "This will do."

The giant man smiled around the cigar. "Suit yourself." He charged the prince, his massive stride quickly covering the distance between them. He swung his massive right fist at the Hero's head, the smaller man ducking the blow and slicing Saker's side with the dagger. He attempted to stab the giant in the back before he could turn, but Saker swung his other arm around and nearly elbowed the prince in the head. He blocked the elbow with his forearm and stabbed the arm with the dagger. Saker roared with pain, but still had the clarity to jerk his arm upwards and away, effectively disarming his opponent. If the advantages weren't completely on Saker's side before, they were now. All he could do as the behemoth swung at him was dodge and try to get whatever hits in that he could. Unfortunately, Saker was pretty fast for such a big guy. Not as fast as the prince, but not so far behind. A few minutes passed in the same fashion; one of them attacking; the other blocking or dodging. Then Saker managed to connect with the prince's ribs. Luckily it was only a glancing blow; otherwise he would've been skewered by the spikes and have a multitude of broken ribs. As it was, he was having trouble breathing, and his movements were slower.

The prince decided it was time to take the initiative: he had to end this now. He had been carefully watching Saker's movements, looking for any weakness he could exploit; any irregularities or openings where he could strike. The prince saw opportunity. He grabbed the incoming fist with both hands, just managing to halt its movement. Kicking the side of Saker's knee and sending the man down, he slammed an elbow into his temple, stunning him. It gave him the time he needed to get around him and bring his left arm around Saker's neck, his throat in the crook of the prince's elbow and the prince's left hand grasping his right bicep. He placed his right hand on the back of the merc's head and squeezed his elbows together, thus cutting off blood flow. He held this position for ten seconds before Saker gave in.

"Stop. You've won," he managed to choke out. The prince held on for another few seconds to make sure the giant didn't try anything. He released Saker and backed up a few paces. The man was still on his knees breathing heavily. He managed to face the prince. "Kill me or let me live, it's your choice. My men will honour it. We're mercenaries; not bandits. We have our codes, same as any soldier. We'll leave the Dwellers be no matter what you do. _That_ is a Warrior's promise."

The prince thought about it briefly. He slammed his fist into Saker's face, knocking the cigar out of his mouth, and likely loosening a few teeth. He could see the man tense as he waited for the killing blow; accepting it with as much composure as could be mustered from someone expecting death. The prince simply held out a hand however. Saker looked at him for moment before grabbing the cigar and clasping the prince's hand, helping him to be hauled to his feet.

He slapped the prince's shoulder in a sign of friendship. "I won't forget this." He addressed the men in the stands, "He's free to go!"

Immediately the world turned grey. The portal to the aether appeared a few feet to the side. Rie made her presence known by inquiring about the sudden change. The prince ignored her for a moment; reveling in the feeling of being alive and having made a powerful ally and perhaps even friend in Saker. He turned to the girl.

"My name is Etrius."

**Holy shit. I do apologize for the wait, but I can honestly say it wasn't (entirely) my fault. But I finally updated. This is just under 9,000 words and fills up 23 whole pages in Word. And his name has been revealed! To those of you who made the effort to guess: Grazie. A shout-out to** **Exerien, MB18932, Niko Bellic's wife, dane293584, KAching (guest), Reaver's Horse (guest), and Loki (guest) for their reviews, favs, follows, etc., whatever. If I missed anyone I apologize and say thank you. A very, **_**very**_**, **_**extra**_**special thank you to Scarlet to Nothing for not only reviewing, but also creating the lovely Rie. Grazie mille. She is to be our Hero's female Hero companion and I think a very fun character to write. To all those who correctly guessed the prince's name, I apologize. But she guessed first so she had that advantage. **

**At this point in the story I'd guess the prince to be at about 6'1" and roughly two or three stars in the Strength category. So pretty damn muscular. And not even fully grown (if you can call it that) yet. **

**Thank you for reading, and, as always, review and favorite and follow and such. **

**Addio.**


	5. Chapter 5: Man of the People

V

Man of the People

The prince had taken to calling it the "Road to Rule". He thought that was an apt name for the winding path in the nothingness that he and Rie were currently standing on. The Seeress was in her usual spot in front of the next gate.

"You have taken another step on your path. Sparing Saker has won you his loyalty and that of his men. Word will spread of both your strength and your justness." She faded away, back to wherever it was she came from

"Who was _that_? And where _are_ we?"

"That was a blind Seeress. And I'm not sure where we are. Just…somewhere else. I call it the "Road to Rule." He explained the path, the chests, the pedestal, and the apparitions. At the next gate were Jasper and Walter, and now Rie and Saker. The prince started for the gate, but Rie's next words stopped him short.

"You're Logan's brother. The prince of Albion."

"Aye," he said, turning toward her. "I am."

"What are you doing fighting mercenaries and kidnapping young girls? I would've thought your brother would want to keep you in the castle, especially since you're a magic user."

"He did keep me there. I had to escape due to some…unfortunate events. And he doesn't know I'm a Hero. No one save you and the two men you see there knows."

"So what is it that made you leave?"

He looked off into the grey emptiness beyond, deep in thought. "Death."

She gave him a look, but did not further push the issue. Obviously he wasn't going to explain, so why bother. She wasn't done asking questions however, and asked him, "What made you tell me your name?"

He laughed humourlessly. "You told me yours. After the shit we just did, I think I can tell you my name without having to worry."

Rie managed to refrain from huffing indignantly. She did cross her arms though, cocking her hips in that way a woman does when she is indignant. "And what if I decided to use the knowledge to take you back? I'm sure your brother would pay well for your return."

The prince sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you really think you could overpower me? And I don't see how you could mentally overpower me in a way that gets me back to the castle. Blabbing about it wouldn't help either because I could make people think you're mad, or I could simply disappear."

"I could find a way."

The prince didn't respond. He pushed open the gate, causing a statue to appear on the pedestal. Surprisingly, another one appeared on the other side, the statue fashioned in Rie's likeness. Perhaps she might end up staying with him for a while. Only one chest was on the path behind the gate. The emblem on the lid suggested a magical enhancement. When Etrius opened it, a tendril of wispy, grey magic circled his body, wrapping around him. He could see the same happening to Rie. It paused when the tip reached his face, pointing at him as though it was alive and was studying him. It then suddenly forced its way into his mind, and the prince was stunned by what it did for him. It was as if some barrier in his mind had been brought down. The magic was so easy for him to understand now. He thanked whatever powers that may be for the gift. Turning back to Rie, he said, "Come."

She did as he said, following the young Hero to the smoky Guild Seal before the next gate. She followed the prince through the portal and back into Albion.

* * *

Saker clasped Etrius on the shoulder. "You're a good man. You ever need my help for anything, just ask and I'll give you a discount."

The prince smiled a little and clasped forearms with the giant. "Sounds good. I hope we meet again sometime. Maybe with less violence involved."

Saker laughed and let the two be on their way. As they walked out of the compound, Jasper's voice echoed in the prince's head. "It is a momentous occasion sir. Your first victory in battle. I'm no expert on personal combat, but I would say, based on the fact that you're not dead, you acquitted yourself rather well. It's hard to believe just over a week ago I was rousing you from a comfortable bed, and the only enemies were pesky nobles visiting the castle. You should return to Brightwall. I believe Sir Walter has made some progress with the last of Sabine's requests."

Etrius turned to Rie. "So what happens now?" she asked snootily.

"That is your decision." She looked at the prince, genuinely surprised. He had gone through so much trouble to make sure she didn't stray from him; now he was going to let her go. It was as though he was telling her she was useless and he had no further need of her. That he no longer gave a shit what happened to her. She didn't like the feeling. But she knew what he was up to, and she wouldn't fall for it.

"I'll be going then." She walked off, listening for him to call her. He didn't. She turned her head to see if he was watching her, but he had disappeared, likely back to that room with the big map.

* * *

"You just let her…_walk away_?"

Etrius paced the room; armoury doorway, down to the living quarters, back to the armoury. Jasper had disagreed with the young prince on how to deal with the girl.

"She was of no further use to me. She brought many questions, but I could tell she had no answers. I don't know who her parents are- or were- since they might be dead. I don't know where she came from, or really even who she is."

"And yet," Jasper sighed, "You felt it necessary to tell her who _you_ are. She may very well endanger our plans of revolution."

The prince waved a hand, "She'll do nothing with that information. And even if she does say something, nobody will be able to find us."

"I wish I shared your optimism, sir, but that was a rather large risk you took there."

"Wars are won by taking risks. This one will be no different. So," he said, changing the subject before Jasper could retort, "Walter. You said he had some information for me?"

"Indeed I did, sir. He said to meet him in the tavern."

"Did he bring you any supplies?"

"Yes, sir. He brought a month's worth of food and drink, and some other essentials for maintaining the Sanctuary."

The prince flashed out of the Sanctuary and began the long trek back to Brightwall.

* * *

"Here he is! The man of the hour! We were just talking about you," Walter yelled. He had obviously been passing the time while he waited for the prince's return by drinking. He was sitting at one of the tables close to the fireplace, with the librarian from the Academy seated across from him.

"Indeed," the old man said. "We have made a toast to your stupendous feat in pacifying Saker and his men. Things may take a turn towards a better path now that we don't have to worry about raids all the time." The prince pulled up a chair and ordered a drink as Walter moved the conversation towards their true intentions.

"Nobody will be more pleased than Sabine," Walter said. "His Dwellers might find some peace now."

"Of course. Nobody has suffered more than they."

"I've been telling Samuel here about the terrible situation they're in," Walter cut in, finally getting down to business. "He thinks he may be able to help." He motioned towards the librarian, who started talking.

"Yes, well, perhaps- uh, I mean…of course. The thing is…as I was just explaining to your friend here, Brightwall has no overabundance of resources itself. The King's levies are rather steep, and we face shortages more often than is comfortable."

"_But_…" Walter said pointedly.

"-But" the old man said quickly, "Were you to improve things around Brightwall, the townspeople would be most grateful. And when people are grateful, they're also charitable. I'm sure they would find it in their hearts to send aid to those poor people."

Walter drained his mug, leaning back in his chair. He ordered another drink as silence reigned over the three men. Walter broke the silence first. "The way I see it, you're going to need as many followers as you can get if you're going to lead a successful rebellion. What better time to start?"

Jasper's voice rang out, "I heartily agree with Sir Walter. Luckily, I've learned of a promising method for amassing followers. If you would return to the Sanctuary, I'll show you."

Once he was in the Sanctuary, Jasper directed the prince to the map table.

"An excellent way for you to gain followers is by helping townspeople. If you would take a closer look at Brightwall, I could show you."

Etrius tapped twice on the small cluster of buildings that marked Brightwall and instantly the surface of the table changed to show the whole town in greater detail; even showing the individual people milling about. "Now, through some form of magic, the map can show you those villagers in need of help. According to the book, they should be glowing slightly."

"I don't understand," Etrius said. "Shouldn't the town prosper again, now that I've stopped the attacks and befriended Saker?"

"That helps, yes. But the people still need help to get back on their feet. Your assistance, I'm sure, would be invaluable. And by helping to make their lives easier, they will be more agreeable with helping the Dwellers," Jasper explained.

The prince grunted. "So what kind of work are we talking about?"

"Take a look and find out."

* * *

Etrius slammed down onto his bed in the inn, completely exhausted. The last few days had consisted of rescuing little girls from caves, retrieving or protecting shipments bound for Brightwall, and rounding up chickens for one of the farmers, who ended up shooting half of the little shits anyway(the bastard). He received a number of wounds, and had to see a doctor to make sure he hadn't contracted anything. The only upside was that he managed to replenish his coin purse while exploring the caves, having happened upon a few chests with gold and gems. He had a few more tasks to complete before Samuel was convinced the people were in a position to aid the Dwellers. Throughout the day, his thoughts had constantly strayed back to that strange girl who he had met the previous week. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she with anyone? He had no answers; only a desire to find out where she had gone when he allowed her to leave. She must have been from one of the nicer sections of Bowerstone, he decided. Her clothes were little more than rags, but she spoke with eloquence and she was literate. He made a point to find her once he had the chance. "Why the fuck did I let her go?" he asked of no one in particular.

* * *

"Where have you been, child?"

Rie sighed before answering. "Doing what you told me to," she said, slightly snobbishly.

"Don't give me any sass you little brat!" the other woman yelled, slapping the girl across the face. "It doesn't take you three weeks to get to and from Brightwall. Where were you all that time?"

Rie quickly thought up a lie. "The soldiers wouldn't let anyone leave. They said it was too dangerous with the brigands about."

"And you couldn't find a way out? But you can find a way out of my house. You can spit on the generosity I've shown you in feeding and sheltering you." She slapped her again. "I've had enough of your lies." She grabbed Rie by the wrist and began dragging her towards her room. She stopped when she saw the mark, looking at Rie as though she couldn't believe her audacity. "What did I tell you about that mark? I said I never wanted to see it. You were told to keep it covered! Do I need to explain to why? _Again_?"

"No," she replied, attempting to wriggle out of the woman's grasp.

"Obviously I do. My ancestors helped do away with those _filthy mercenaries_ who enjoyed calling themselves _heroes_. My family gained wealth after that. We no longer starved. We no longer had to till fields. We lived in grand estates, with servants, and more food and wine than we could ever need. We had enough money for anything we could ever want. And then _you_ come along. The spawn of one of those _animals_! And yet we fed you. And clothed you. And you have the nerve to show that sign in this house, which wouldn't be here if they hadn't exterminated those vermin."

"You never starved or tilled-"She was cut off by another slap.

"Silence! Are you looking for an even more severe beating?"

The woman dragged her into her room. She slapped her again, a backhand this time. She ordered two of the servants to hold her arms so she couldn't struggle. It was at this point she noticed the weapons Etrius had bought Rie. "Where did you get those? Trying to play Hero, like your bastard father and your bitch mother?" She ripped the leather straps from the girl's body. "These look expensive. Did you buy them with _my_ money; that was supposed to be for my associates?" The woman pulled the pistol out of its holster. She ordered the servants to place her hands on the table. Once they had done so, the "noblewoman" gripped the weapon by the barrel and slammed the butt onto the backs of Rie's hands. "That should teach you not to steal." She then took the dagger and cut the girl's face- a quick slash down her cheek. "And that should teach you to play with knives."

She ordered the servants to beat her for five minutes and departed. When she was gone, the two unfortunate women started to slap the even less fortunate girl. They pitied her, so they went easy; but it wasn't worth being beaten themselves, so they had to leave marks.

* * *

The prince stood in front of the entrance to Brightwall, stacks of crates taking up much of the space around him. Samuel stood to his left and the entire population of the small town was gathered in the town commons. Nearly 2,500 people were gathered to try to see the man who had helped the town bounce back from its economic purgatory. Samuel held up his arms to gain the people's attention. "Esteemed citizens of Brightwall! Today we demonstrate the generous nature of our fair town. For too long our mountain neighbors have suffered in silence. Now that we have the means, we can extend a helping hand. But this effort could not have been accomplished without the courage and determination of one man." He turned to the young Hero next to him. "A living reminder of what used to be. A true Hero in every sense of the word. From this day forth, we shall know you as… the Hero of Brightwall! Before you leave, we ask of you one thing: as we pledge ourselves to you, we hope that you will pledge to restore Brightwall to its former glory, by re-opening the academy which the late King founded."

The prince turned to the old man and clasped his hand. "You have my word."

Samuel smiled and shook the prince's hand. "Very good. I expected nothing less from you." He gestured to the carriages that were currently being loaded with the excess supplies from Brightwall. "These carts shall carry the provisions through the mountains to the Dweller's camp. They may have them with our blessing. I hope that you will return one day. Not just as our Hero, but as our King."

"I know I'll be back sometime. The day I do will likely be the day I request the aid of all your fighting men."

"I hope that day will herald a new era."

The crowd dispersed as the prince hopped onto the last cart making its way to the Dweller Camp.

* * *

"Our hero returns. Bringing good tidings…and supper." Sabine laughed. The prince approached the diminutive old man's throne with his father's music box in hand, Walter trailing a few steps behind. He was still apprehensive about giving it to the little man, even if he did like him. He made a point to demand it back after he became king. Sabine turned the box over a couple times, shaking it and tapping it. "Damn thing doesn't open…How do you…" he trailed off. "Oh well. I never thought you'd actually get it to tell you the truth. Boulder," he said and handed the music box to his giant bodyguard. "We've been blessed my friends," he went on. "We have made an alliance that has already brought us life. One day it will bring us much more. We require but one more offering before we fight at your side. Promise to restore these mountains to their full glory, and promise to protect our right to dwell in them. And promise you will bring nothing but the fiercest justice upon Logan's head!"

"I swear it," Etrius said, the memories of the events at the castle coming to mind. His answer satisfied Sabine, as the old man jumped up, pointing in the general direction of Bowerstone Castle.

"Then may we be carried into the castle by the dark storms of fury!"

"You'll have to wait a little longer for that," Walter cut in. "It's still just us against a whole army. We need to recruit more people."

The little man sighed. "I knew you'd come over all logical and sensible. Well you have brought us a feast, and we are free to hunt again. We'll just keep on eating and drinking till you're good and ready," he said.

Everything went grey again as the prince made for the gate. The Guild Seal appeared at the entrance to Sabine's compound. Etrius walked through and back onto the "Road to Rule".

A few of the people Etrius had helped, as well as Sabine and Boulder, now stood on either side of the gate. The Seeress stood in her spot in front it. "You have made an important ally today. The revolution cannot hope to succeed without the support of Sabine and his people. You have the beginnings of an army now," was all she said before disappearing.

* * *

Etrius and Walter walked through the Dweller camp, the inhabitants lighting fireworks and cheering as the two men passed. Walter spoke as they walked. "I couldn't be prouder of what you've accomplished here," he said above the noise, "but there is still much for us to do. And I know just where to find our next allies. We're headed for the station in Mistpeak. Unless you have something to do, and would prefer to meet me there?"

"Not that I know of."

"Good. This revolution is just getting started."

* * *

"What are you doing? If the Mistress finds out, she'll beat you."

"That's why I'm leaving." Rie was in the kitchens, stuffing as much food as she could into a small sack. She had stolen a few hundred gold pieces from her adoptive mother's stash that she kept in her jewelry box, and had managed to find the short sword that Etrius had bought her. After the last beating she had decided it was enough. She was leaving for good.

"Where will you go? Is that not why you haven't already left?" the servant asked.

"I've finally found somewhere I could go. I met someone in Brightwall who can help me. Hopefully he's still there," she said, desperately wishing for it to be so.

"How do you expect to make it there without being seen?"

She shoved the last bit of food in the bag and tied it shut. "I don't care if I'm seen. He can protect me. All I have to do is find him."

* * *

Logan, King of Albion and first-born of the late King Ivor and Queen Aria, paced the War Room in Bowerstone Castle, once called Castle Fairfax before said father put an end to his obsessive quest to resurrect his deceased wife and child. It had been nearly a month since his brother, the crown prince, had escaped the castle with his butler and mentor. One of Logan's elite guards walked into the room. He had always been proud of the way these men had turned out. They were deadly fighters, shrewd tacticians, and professionally stoic. If only the entire army could be like them. His thoughts were interrupted by the Captain's report.

"My King, the Prince has been seen in the town of Brightwall."

Logan jumped at the news. "Good. Send a detachment at once to retrieve him. Alive. Ten men. He's a fighter, but not as trained as your men. It's the old one you have to watch out for. Kill him or take him alive-I care not. Just bring my brother to me."

"At once, Your Majesty." The soldier left to carry out his orders, leaving Logan to his thoughts once more.

* * *

It took them five days to walk from the Dweller's camp down to the entrance to the monorail station at the other end of the mountain range. The entrance was little more than a cave in the side of one of the mountains. When they walked through however, the prince changed his mind about how well this might go. Instead of a rundown looking area, he was met with the sight of a very professional looking station. People of all different backgrounds milled about, waiting for the railcar to arrive.

"This is the monorail station. You might have seen a few posters advertising it back in Brightwall. As they would suggest, the monorail runs from here to Millfields. It's a five day trip, but we'll be making a stop along the way," Walter explained to the young Hero. He carried on, more of a rambling than anything. "I can never get over this place. Twenty years ago, it was nothing more than a damp, murky void in the middle of nowhere. Now people queue up to get danged across it in a metal box." Obviously it wasn't Walter's idea of fun. He continued as they walked up to the boarding platform. "And here it comes," he said as the railcar approached the platform. Steam poured out the exhaust and the wheels carried the giant "metal box" forward. Suddenly, sparks began to fly from the wheels and the monorail came to a stop.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Etrius asked.

"I don't think so."

They waited a few seconds to see what happened. Without warning, an explosion ripped through the tracks and wheels and the railcar fell into the darkness below.

"No!" Walter exclaimed.

Another explosion sounded when the car hit the ground. Smoke billowed up from the depths and the smell of burning metal and roasted flesh wafted up with it. The people in the station started yelling and screaming, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Come on. We have to get down there," Walter said quickly, running for the stairs. Etrius followed him closely, but as they neared the gate leading to the maintenance elevator he stopped dead in his tracks. He locked eyes with someone who looked as surprised as he was.

"Rie. What are you doing here?"

"This isn't the time! Get over here _now_!" Walter yelled. Etrius ran over to the older man. "This must be the way down. We have to get down there. See if there's any survivors." He pulled his pistol from its holster and shot the padlock, kicking open the gate. He and Etrius ran through, followed by Rie. "Let's get down there," he said once they were in the lift, "I don't want to spend any more time in this box than I have to."

Etrius pushed the handle down and the lift slowly descended. Walter took the opportunity to inquire about Rie. "Who is this and how do you know her? Better yet-why is she following us?"

"I met her in Brightwall. She was with me in Saker's fort. As to why she's following us, I'm wondering the same thing," he said pointedly.

"I was looking for you. I was hoping you would still accept my company on your adventures."

"You seemed adamant about getting away from me. Why the sudden shift?"

"It's…a long story. Complicated."

The lift hit the ground and the gates opened. "Yes, well, it'll have to wait for later," Walter said. The three of them ran up the path a ways before they came upon the monorail car. About a dozen small, fat creatures were going through the wreckage. One was banging on the side of the car with two bones. Another was holding on as one of the wheels spun in circles. One ran around on fire, which might've been funny if the fire wasn't from the burning railcar. The stench emanating from the area was nearly unbearable. If he hadn't already been up close to death and burning bodies, the prince might've vomited. Rie could be heard gagging a few feet behind him.

"Hobbes," Walter said. "I had a feeling this wasn't an accident. Don't leave any of the little bastards alive!" he yelled, firing at the little creatures. Between the three of them, the hobbes were dealt with quickly. "That's it. But there'll be more. That's something you can always count on with hobbes. There's always more. The poor bastards," he said, referring to the railcar passengers. "They never stood a chance. I'm not getting into a monorail car for as long as I live, I can tell you that."

"Let's keep going," he said after a brief pause. "There must be a way out through these tunnels."

They followed the tracks through the tunnels running below the rail lines. They forged ahead at a steady jog, so far encountering no resistance.

"So where are we going?" Etrius asked.

"To find some old friends," Walter said. "Let's just say I wouldn't want to go into any battle without them."

"That good?"

"Some of the best."

"Fucking alright with me."

They entered another tunnel and Rie pointed out the small group of hobbes that were waiting farther down the tunnel. They hid behind some rocks, with Rie and Etrius on one side and Walter across from them. Walter drew his pistol and Etrius unslung the rifle from his back. "Aim for those powder barrels," Walter said.

The two men each fired upon the hobbes, aiming for the ones on the opposite side from them. The barrels exploded and the hobbes closest to them were blown apart. Etrius slung the rifle on his back once more and ran forward, drawing his sword. He quickly stabbed the surviving hobbes through their hearts, ending their suffering. "Little fuckers."

Thorn sniffed the air before running ahead. They rounded the bend and entered a small open area with shelves laden with barrels. Some were on the ground and were the ones Thorn was sniffing. When the three of them walked up to the barrels, they suddenly burst apart and the hobbes hiding within jumped at them.

"Oh, bloody hell! Almost gave me a heart attack!" Walter yelled. "You'll pay for that you little shits!"

Most of them were armed with clubs or rusty axes. When they leaped forward to attack, the prince would kick them away, breaking their bones, or stick them with his sword.

"That's it!" Walter yelled, preferring to shoot them from a distance, "Show them no mercy!"

Etrius was easily able to hack the creatures to bits with his sword. Their bodies were less than resilient and they weren't very intelligent. They made quick work of them and continued on their way. They spent twenty minutes hacking their way to the end of the tunnels until they came upon an open area and noticed a large wooden structure covered in hobbes across a large chasm. They quickly hid before they were seen and formulated their plan.

"What do you think?" Walter asked.

Rie spoke up, "We stay here while Etrius flanks them. We'll wait until you attack and then shoot them from here. Once they're all dead, we'll follow the path to catch up to you while you continue on alone."

"Fine by me," the prince said. "Where is the pistol I bought you?"

"Taken. Just give me your rifle."

"You sure you can handle it?" he asked, unslinging it from his back, "It has quite the kick."

"It'll do me better than a pistol at this range."

He handed her the rifle then crawled to the opening that would take him around the chasm to the hobbes. He went slowly, making sure to peek around corners so he wasn't seen. The few times he did come across hobbes, he threw a stone so that it landed behind them and when they turned to investigate he quickly ran up and killed them all with his sword. The hobbes had built themselves a dwarf sized wooden fortress and a number of them were on top of a tall platform going over the path. He had no choice but to shoot the powder barrel, which blew up the platform and rained chunks of hobbe on the tunnel. Farther down the path, the tunnel opened up into what appeared to be the hobbes' mess hall. A couple tables were set up and there were a large number of meat filled sacks hanging from the wooden structures. This was where things got fucked up. The beasts had been alerted to the prince's presence by the explosion. That he expected. What he didn't expect was the giant red hobbes armed with blunderbusses and steel axes.

As he entered the area, one of them fired at him as another one charged. The shot tore through the one that had charged him and ripped the little beast apart. Now the prince knew to duck. He pulled out his pistol and made sure Thorn was well protected. He sprinted for the next closest piece of cover, firing at the hobbes with his pistol. He hit one in the head and another in the throat. Having aimed for the ones with the firearms first, he took out two of the three. That left one with a gun and another five with melee weapons. He didn't want to risk peeking out of cover so he launched a fireball upwards to distract them, then leaned out and shot the hobbe with the blunderbuss in the head twice. The ones with axes had been charging him when he used the magic, and now that he had returned the attention to himself, he drew his sword and readied himself for the slaughter. He still had four rounds left in his pistol and he quickly put them to use, taking two hobbes down within as many seconds and turning to the other three left alive. One of them jumped at him, swinging its axe, but he just skewered it with his sword. The little bastard was heavy, but he managed to fling it into one of the others. The one still standing swung its axe at his midsection. He blocked the strike with his sword, placing the blade below the head and pushing into the shaft. Luckily the thing wasn't smart enough to wrench the weapon from his grip and he brought his other hand up and shot the hobbe in the face. By this time the last living one was up and ready to go. His pistol was empty, but that wouldn't be a problem. The creature ran at him, swinging the axe, and the prince stepped sideways, stabbing the hobbe in the heart from behind.

He paused briefly to loot the few valuables stored in the area then continued down the path for a few metres before it opened up into the chasm. Fortunately, the hobbes either hadn't heard or hadn't realised the significance of the carnage that had just happened. He considered taking the stealthy approach but then decided he'd have more fun just charging in. Having already reloaded, he blew one of the powder barrels closest to him, taking down half of the structure, then charged in with his sword. Walter and Rie opened up on the hobbes while Etrius got in close and hacked them apart. In less than a minute, the bloody episode was over and Etrius continued on his way, moving a little slower while Walter and Rie ran to catch up. They caught up pretty quickly and Rie commented on Etrius's appearance.

"That look suits you."

He looked down at himself. The long, tattered coat over the short-sleeved shirt. Black pants with a bloody bandage tied around his thigh. He was still wearing the merc's boots. The two gauntlets with the military gloves on his hands. Not to mention the wide assortment of weapons on his person. And now he was covered in blood. He wasn't quite sure how to respond so he simply grunted.

The small party continued onwards. Nothing had happened within the last half hour, save for a brief bit of excitement when they were blocked off by a magic using hobbe and he had to flank it and massacre the small group. Ten minutes later however, the excitement returned.

"Wow. Now this...this I wasn't expecting. There must have been a whole city down here once," Walter said, awestruck. They had entered another cavern, but this one contained a huge Old Kingdom ruin. Broken bridges lead to areas that hadn't seen humans in centuries. The one intact bridge lead to what looked like an arena.

"You don't think the hobbes built it, do you?" Walter continued. "No," he laughed, "not with those stubby fingers."

These ruins must be over a thousand years old," Rie said. "I wonder what this place was. And who lived here."

"I'm more concerned with that arena that appears to be the only path we can take," Etrius said.

As they entered the arena, Walter said a little suspiciously, "Have you noticed how quiet it all is here? Almost like-" A wall of magic closed off both exits and three summoner hobbes appeared on the platform in the center of the arena. They raised their staffs and a shield of magic circled them. At the same time they began raising undead hobbes.

"Yep. Almost like that was going to happen."

"Fuck," Etrius said.

"Shit," Rie said at the same time.

All three drew their weapons and prepared for battle. The skeletal hobbes came in the regular and supersized versions, just like the living ones. However, the undead ones were even less intelligent than their living counterparts. The prince and Rie both decided it would be better to use magic and started launching fireballs and bolts of lightning. Walter used the first few seconds of the battle to shoot the hobbes banging on the drums, while Etrius and Rie dispatched the undead beasts. They tried striking, shooting, and using magic on the magic shield around the summoner hobbes, but to no avail. After five minutes of uninterrupted fighting, they started to tire of the fight.

"This is ridiculous! How are we supposed to take them out?" Rie yelled exasperatedly.

"I don't know," Walter replied. "Perhaps if we threw some explosives over the barrier?"

"We have none," the prince yelled back.

"I have an idea!" Rie yelled. "Etrius! Give me a boost up there!" she said, pointing to the spectator stands. He stood a ways from one of the walls and crouched down with his hands out. She ran at him and placed her foot in his hands, pushing off while he threw her upwards and twisted. She slammed into the wall and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself up. The prince unslung his rifle and tossed it up to her, realising her plan. She aimed at the hobbes protected by the magic wall and took them out with a few well-aimed headshots. The prince and Walter finished off the last of the skeletal hobbes while Rie jumped down and gave Etrius back his rifle again.

The second the last of the hobbes was taken care of, the world turned grey and stopped moving. The Guild Seal appeared at the exit to the arena. The two Heroes walked through into the aether.

* * *

"You have overcome an important test. A good leader must always be ready to face the unknown, and to seek new paths. Your defeat of the creatures in this cave will be told throughout the land," she said and disappeared.

"It seems as though her visits are becoming increasingly brief," Rie pointed out.

"More than you know."

A single chest stood in the centre of the path after they passed through the gate. The prince walked up to it and flipped the lid. Once again the wispy white tendril surrounded him and Rie and granted them further knowledge of their magical abilities.

They walked to the other gate and through the Guild Seal to return to Albion.

* * *

Back in the arena, they were about to walk out when Rie suddenly yelled, "Hey! What do you think this is for?" She held up a silver key that she had taken from the carcass of one of the summoner hobbes.

"That, dear girl, is a gift from my father," Etrius said, taking the key and placing it in one of his belt pouches with the other one.

They decided to take the few extra seconds to search the others for anything valuable, but only scrounged up a few gold coins. They proceeded with the final leg of their journey, walking out into the open air and sunlight.

* * *

"Aaahhh!" Walter groaned out. "You can almost smell the sunlight. Isn't it wonderful. The damp, muggy, soggy sunlight." The opening at the end of the tunnel had lead them to a swamp. Trees were less prevalent and water puddled and made ponds. Insects and reptiles could be seen and heard and mushrooms and shrubs were the dominant plant life. The humidity was nearly unbearable. "This is Mourningwood all right. I hope the men we're looking for are still alive."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Etrius asked

"Because come nightfall, it's one of the most dangerous places in Albion. Speaking of dangerous, I'm starting to get a rash. Damn swamp."

Walter led the small party towards the small stone bridge in the distance. They could see tall spires in the distance and the prince assumed that was where they were headed. Walter spoke up as they walked. "We made a good team back in that cave, didn't we? It's been a while since I've been stuck in a real fight," he said, reminiscing about days long since passed. "It was just like fighting by your father's side. I'd forgotten what it was like…standing next to a Hero."

The words made the prince wish he could've fought at his father's side. There were times when his father would make time to train with him. They would fight with their fists, or wooden swords. But they were mock battles. And they were few and far between. He'd never known why his father didn't want to spar with him more. But as he got older, he figured it must've had something to do with his father always going on adventures or joining detachments of the army to wipe out bandit clans and such. _Bloodlust_.

"I think we're almost there," Walter said as they came to a wooden bridge spanning the swamp, bringing the prince back to reality. They passed underneath the first bridge, and a flag could be seen waving in the breeze. "That must be the place up ahead," he said as they came around the bend. The stone structure loomed over them and they could see sandbags piled everywhere and soldiers on sentry duty or lying about while waiting for something to happen. "What I wouldn't give for a bowl of soup and a bath."

As the prince was about to voice his agreement, one of the sentries shouted for them to halt. "Be you men or Hollow Men?"

"Have you gone daft? Open up the door!" Walter shouted.

"Walter!" he shouted, lowering his rifle, "It's you!

"The very same. Now are you going to let us in?"

"Aye sir." He turned and shouted to some of the men inside. "Open the doors! Tell Major Swift: Walter's here!"

They could hear a few men scrambling to get up and open the giant stone doors. As they swung open, the prince couldn't help the excitement he felt. It was like he was in the Army. Perhaps they'd get to stay a while. Maybe even get a bit of excitement. He'd always wanted to be in the Army. Now he had a chance, however brief. They walked inside and took in the sight of the massive building. It looked to have been a chapel at one time, but with its recent occupation of soldiers, it had been turned into a fort by the men. Most of the roughly 175 men were lying about, attempting to get whatever rest they could before they had to fight again. One man was at a makeshift forge, repairing weapons. A few were shooting at skulls. Others dug graves for their fallen brothers. Most had bandages over wounds and were dressed in tattered Army uniforms, some with makeshift boots instead of the tall, military issued black leather boots. Most had the standard tricorn hats, but a few wore boonie caps instead. All had the look of a man who'd been in the shit for too long. When they walked in, they were greeted by two men. One, sporting an elaborate moustache and smoking a wooden pipe, was Major William Abraham Swift. He was garbed in the officer's variant of the Royal Army uniform and had a cutlass hanging on his hip, with matching pistols. The younger man next to him was unknown to both the prince and Rie. He wore a standard Army uniform, but with the jacket sleeves cut off and wore boots that were common amongst smugglers at sea. His blonde hair was swept sideways and he was clean shaven. He appeared about thirty years old and had the look of a man who'd played the part of dashing swashbuckler at one point. He was also armed with a cutlass rather than the steel longswords that were still standard issue in the Army. His rifle looked to be made of ivory rather than wood. Walter greeted the two men and shook each of their hands.

"There he is! The one and only: Major Swift!"

"Walter! What the blazes are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"We came looking for you. I have a proposition."

The blonde man spoke up, "You came all this way to _proposition_ us? And here I thought you'd come to save us from the legions of the damned."

"_Ben Finn_! It's good to see you. I take it the rumours about this place are true then."

"I'll say," the Major said. "You've never seen so many Hollow Men in one place. We've been stationed here for months, trying to eradicate them. Mainly it's been us getting eradicated. We've lost some good men these past few months. Lieutenant Simmons died in a small skirmish last night. And we suspect the bastards will be back tonight."

"Logan loves to send you on the best assignments, doesn't he? That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yes, I assumed as much when I saw who you brought with you. He looks a little less green than last I saw him. And he didn't have a beard, but I certainly recognize him."

"Just treat him like any other pair of hands for now."

"Fair enough." He turned to the prince. "Captain Finn will show you to the mortar. We could use a body up there."

The Captain addressed the prince. "Meet me on the wall when you're ready. I'll introduce you to Private Jammy, so called because he's the luckiest sod in the fort."

"You'll probably be stuck by that mortar all night. Take a look around first-talk to the men," Walter told him. "It never hurts to know who's got your back."

"What about the young mistress here?" Swift asked Walter.

"I'm not sure," Walter said. "Apparently, she knows our young friend here. It would probably be best to let her stick with him. Unless she knows how to heal wounds?" he said to her.

"Not really, no. Nothing more than your men would, anyway," she replied.

"Well, just stick her with the young prince here then," Swift told her.

As they walked away they could hear Swift asking about his anonymity and whether he was like his father. They walked around, talking and joking with some of the soldiers and getting to know them better. They were all excellent combatants, since the Major demanded nothing less from his men. Some were from Brightwall, others from Bowerstone, even some men from small towns such as Oakfield and Rookridge. One of the men sitting around one of the fires was reading an autobiography by Captain Finn, stating to one of the other soldiers that it was full of "violence, swearing and drunken orgies." In the same group, another man sat, tuning his lute. Etrius would've stayed, but he was now on duty and had to get to the mortar.

When they arrived on the upper level where the mortar was, Captain Finn greeted the prince. "I don't suppose you've ever used a mortar before? There's nothing to it. There's always a slight chance of maiming, of course, but I'm sure you'll pick it right up." He gestured to the heavily bandaged soldier standing next to him. "First, I'd like you to meet Private Jammy. He'll be your loader."

"Pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Same to you," Etrius replied.

"It's true what they say. Jammiest soldier in Albion. I've lost two fingers, been shot four times, stabbed six times, cut nine times, lost four toes on my left foot, and I broke thirteen bones. And I'm still standing."

"Time to show him the ropes," Ben said to the Private. Etrius looked over the wide expanse laid out before him. The area in front of the fort was little more than dirt and wooden walls. The mortar was surrounded by the iron cannonballs used as ammunition.

"Alright then, our lives depend on this thing, so let's make sure you know what you're doing. Get on it, and we'll practice a bit." The prince crouched down next to the mortar and looked out over the dirt. "Alright, let's see what you've got. See that skeleton over there? Let's blow it up," Jammy said excitedly. "That's right, let's blow it to buggery! Come on!"

The prince adjusted the angle of the mortar, waited for Jammy to load a cannonball, then fired. The shot flew into the air with an unexpectedly loud report, then smashed into the ground a few seconds later. He had overshot it by a few feet. He tilted the mortar an inch or so, waited for the reload, then fired again. The shot was true this time; the cannonball smashed into the skeleton and the immediate area was turned into a crater.

Jammy cackled excitedly. "Yes! Yes! Boom! You see that? That's what I'm talking about! Now let's get the next one!" He reloaded the mortar and the prince rotated the iron death launcher, tilting it to the correct angle. He fired a third time and the shot was spot on again, hitting the ground right next to the target and blowing wood splinters and dirt everywhere. "Ha! Another fine shot! That's it right there!" he cackled.

"Alright Private, try not to get too excited," Captain Finn cut in. "Take care of that last one there."

"Alright, let's get it. Last one."

The prince rotated the mortar again. As he was tilting the weapon, the skeleton broke free of the ropes holding it to the wood and loosed a guttural cry. An entire legion of what the prince now knew to be Hollow Men sprung up from the dirt. The glowing eyes brought him back to the Reliquary. He was shaken from his brief reverie by Captain Finn shouting, "Hollow Men! Start firing!" The prince fired the mortar, blowing a squad sized group of Hollow Men into bone shards. The soldiers in the fort immediately sprang into action. They all grabbed their weapons, some rushing for the upper level of the fort while others stuck the barrels of their rifles between the boards covering the windows. Etrius handed his rifle and some ammo to Rie as Jammy reloaded. A few of the men got on the other mortar and started raining cannonballs on the legions of Hollow Men. The rest all began firing their rifles into the mass of skeletons. The night was lit up by the gunshots and explosions. The men were eliminating hundreds of Hollow Men, but as the minutes went by, more took their place. A few men had fallen from enemy fire, arrows being outdated, but no less deadly. Shouts could be heard along the along the line: "I need ammo!" or "Take that one out!" and such things as that. The skeletal warriors were gaining ground, slowly but surely. They were a few metres away from the doors when Major Swift called for everyone to get ready for them. The men on the ground moved back and took cover behind whatever they could find. The men up top turned their rifles to the inside and waited for skulls to appear in their sights. Etrius grabbed a rifle from one of the fallen soldiers and jumped down, taking a spot near Walter, Ben and Swift. The heavy stone doors shook from an impact. A brief pause followed by another shake and a few pieces of masonry falling. The third time caused the doors to fall, ripped from their hinges. Immediately everyone in the fort opened fire on the Hollow Men. They piled in through the doors, the windows, a few even tried to climb the outside of the fort. Firearms became virtually useless as the Hollow Men surged forward and the battle became a close-combat affair. The soldiers drew their swords, taking the ancient warriors on with their blades. The cacophony of battle was deafening; the clash of steel on steel and the war cries and wounded screams of the soldiers creating an eardrum bursting din. And in the thick of it all: Etrius. His stoic appearance completely hid the inner excitement he felt battling the Hollow Men. Blocking a blow to his head, he ducked under another, slamming two skeletons into each other then slicing both of their heads off in one blow. He turned in time to block a swipe at his midsection, kicking the undead warrior's leg then stomping its skull. He saw Walter a few metres away, swinging his massive sword like a child with a stick. Ben Finn fought with finesse, twirling his sword often. Many of the soldiers were holding their own, but a few went down from the sheer numbers. Swift attempted to rally the men, shouting, "Come on boys! Push them back! These are _corpses_ you're fighting! This is their last onslaught, and all we have to do is live! So fight harder! Kill them all!"

Walter and Swift pushed forward, decimating the Hollow Men and encouraging the men. Etrius rushed forward with the soldiers, newfound strength bolstering his blows. Explosions could be heard outside the fort and Etrius looked up to see Rie manning the mortar by herself, attempting to take out as many Hollow Men as she could before they reached the men. Apparently she'd been paying attention. The men rushed through the entrance and formed a line two men deep across the front of the fort, preventing the Hollow Men from entering through the doors and windows.

Then they heard a roar. Etrius glanced up to see what it was and his eyes widened. Slowly advancing down the hill, through the ranks of the Hollow Men, was a massive skeletal warrior. The bastard was at least as tall as Saker, and was armed with a massive, rusted claymore. It had metal armor covering its torso and limbs, with a helm on its head. At one time, this was likely a mighty warrior. Now it was an undead villain, with no real motivation other than to kill.

"This one is yours!" Walter shouted to the prince. He rushed forward, swinging his sword to create a path through the Hollow Men. He was about five metres from the giant when he used his magic to destroy every skeleton within a three metre radius. The big one advanced on the prince, swinging its sword in an attempt to cut him in half. Etrius rolled to the side, hoping to get a hit in, but the undead continued the swing, making a full circle and bringing the sword in a downwards slash. The prince tried to cut its arms off at the elbows but the skeleton blocked it with the bracers. It ripped the sword out of the ground and swung at him again. Etrius rolled, getting behind the undead and slashing its legs. The giant fell, and as it roared its hatred, he placed his boot on the skull and smashed it. The blue light possessing the ancient warrior rose from the remains of the skeleton and burst outward, causing the remaining hundred or so Hollow Men to burst apart.

A stunned silence dominated the men for a few seconds. Then they began cheering. Everyone laughing and yelling and clapping each other on the back. They were amazed at what they had done, and what they had witnessed. Major Swift let his men revel in their victory for a while, then called them all to listen. He stood on the upper level of the fort in front of the remaining men. Most had survived the battle, and they would mourn and honor the dead as soon as Swift was finished with his address.

"Men, you all fought bravely today. We've just accomplished what was thought impossible: holding this fort and defeating the undead legions! I am _damn_ proud of each and every one of you! You upheld the honor of this uniform, and your own honor. I will see you all rewarded for your service here." The men cheered again and Swift waited before continuing. "We have with us today, two men. Two men who fought with us and helped us defeat these undead miscreants. Sir Walter Beck, the right hand man of the late King Ivor Ravenol. And this young man right here," he said, gesturing to the prince, "-is his son: Etrius Ravenol, Crown Prince of Albion, and a Hero, same as his father. He fought beside us, a brother to us as much as any man here!" More cheers. "Walter here has asked for our help. He's told me of their plan to overthrow King Logan, and put Etrius on the throne. I ask you men: are you with me?" Cheers of "Hell yes!" and "For the prince!" rang out amongst the men. "I say we drink to our victory!...And to our fallen brothers…And to the future of Albion." Again, more cheers. "Let us honor the men who cannot celebrate with us, and then let us drink to their memory."

It was sobering for the prince, seeing the men who didn't survive. The adrenaline rush he felt during the battle and the period immediately following was gone. He helped dig graves for the thirty-seven men who would make the fort their final resting place, among whom was Jammy, having been stabbed through the heart in the last minutes before the giant had appeared. They were each carefully placed within, swords under their clasped hands, any personal items remaining on their person. Words were said of their time in the military, and the dirt was placed over them. Their rifles were placed in the dirt as markers and their hat placed on the butt of the firearm. They all stood in front of the graves afterwards, silently mourning the fallen.

Afterwards, the men brought out some tables, restarted the fires, and passed around the whiskey. Meat was roasted over the flames, and everyone laughed and joked, drinking away the melancholy of the night's events. Men played dice, boxed, wagered on the fights, and wagered on the drinking contests. The prince was once again in the thick of it all, holding his own in both the fights and the drinking. Soon the men started setting up targets and seeing who had the best aim while drunk. The prince came in second after Ben Finn, having hit four out of the five airborn bottles(although he argued that Ben hadn't had enough to drink to make it a fair contest). He congratulated the other man, then went and joined the boxers again.

* * *

A few hours later, the prince walked out to the entrance. Rie had spent most of her time with Thorn outside the fort. He had seen her eyeing him a few times while he was fighting(he liked to think it was because he was shirtless, but it may have just been the alcohol), and he decided to try and strike up a conversation with her. She was drawing in the dirt, one hand absently scratching Thorn's head, when he approached.

"Why do you not drink with us?" he asked.

She grimaced, saying, "I don't like alcohol."

"You could still join in the revelries."

"…I'm not really a people person." She wasn't being cooperative.

"Neither am I, but these are good men. If there is anyone who you can relate to, it's them."

"Maybe," she said doubtfully.

A few moments of silence passed, then he said, "I thought you didn't like Thorn."

She almost smiled. "That was when he was growling at me. By _your_ command," she said pointedly. "He's actually quite amicable when you aren't telling him to guard me."

"You know, you never did tell me why you sought me out."

Her features darkened. "I don't want to talk about it."

"After all this shit, including what happened in the mountains-that crap with the tattoo I mean-, and again you won't talk to me."

He could see her trying to keep the tears at bay. "I…I just can't. I don't-I'd just rather not."

The prince became angry. He stood up, glaring at her. "Fine. You don't want my help? You don't want to let it all out? Don't. See if I give a fuck. Fucking shit!" he said as he walked away. He whistled and Thorn came running, leaving Rie alone.

* * *

Etrius went and sat with Walter and Swift, who'd begun talking business after the first hour of celebrations. Walter noticed his black mood. "Something the matter?"

"No," he said shortly, his tone making it clear he didn't want to talk about it. "What's the plan?"

"Well," Walter started, "I've informed William here of the finer details of our plan. He says he can turn most of the Royal Guard to our cause, which is good since we'll be up against Logan's Elite Guard and we'll need everyone we can get to win this war."

"Where are we off to next?"

"We're going to keep heading north, stopping at a few places to gather some more followers on our way to Bowerstone. Many of the smaller towns and villages will pledge their support. I've also thought about heading south, to Bloodstone."

"When do we leave?"

"Whenever Swift and the men do."

"Sounds good."

* * *

Rie approached Etrius, running her plan through her head. She wasn't sure how he would react; he _was_ pissed after all. She approached where he was sitting on a piece of masonry, a half empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and a lit cigar in his mouth. She was already regretting this decision. _Fucking alcohol_, she thought.

He looked up as she approached. "What?"

"I just…wanted to talk."

"Yeah?"

"…About…stuff."

"Well no shit. What the fuck else are we supposed to talk about?"

"You can't expect me to open up to you when you act like that!" she screamed at him.

The prince raised an eyebrow. "Well how am I _supposed _to talk to you then? I talk to everyone the same way."

"I don't know. Try softening up a little. You'd almost accomplished that outside an hour ago."

He flicked the cigar into the fire and sat up straight. His tone was more amicable and his voice lost its usual gruffness. "Why did you come find me?"

The tears threatened to spill again. She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut, attempting stop the flood. "I thought you could help me. The woman I live with isn't exactly motherly. I never had anywhere else to go though. Then I met you and I thought that if I stuck with you I could do something with myself."

She obviously wasn't telling him the whole story, but he let it slide. "You asked why I left the castle. My brother forced me to choose between the life of a girl and the lives of a few civilians who had started a riot because of an execution that morning. It was then that I realised my brother was beyond saving. He was no longer the level-headed, just ruler he once was. Those people are dead because of my choice. And they are but a few of the lives Logan has ruined. It was then I realised: Albion needs a revolution."

**Holy Fuck. I finally updated. I would run through all the recent reviewers and such, but it's 12:30 in the morning and I haven't slept properly in months. I'll probably be awake within an hour of falling asleep so I'm just gonna put the names and any news with the next chapter, and get what sleep I can.**

**Addio.**


End file.
